Retrospective dosimetry at the natural background level with commercial surface mount resistors

A single aliquot regenerative (SAR) protocol utilizing thermoluminescence demonstrated precise and accurate retrospective dosimetry capability using common commercial surface mount resistors at levels able to discriminate the age of resistors based on background dose accrual. Detection limits below 10 mGy can be realized with this method having precision at the 1 Gy level in the range of only 3% which is substantially better than that required for emergency response dosimetry. Moreover, these dose estimates could be obtained in mere hours rather than current biodosimetry methods which can take weeks. •Surface mount resistors were found to have sufficient TL sensitivity to enable measurement at the natural background level.•Detection limits below 10 mGy with relative uncertainty at higher (1Gy) doses in the range of 3% were observed.•Throughput estimates as low as 1 h were obtained.•Applications for emergency response dosimetry or nuclear forensics are considered.•Results are shown to be sufficient to address radiophobia considerations subsequent to a nuclear event.