Behavior of the electron spin resonance signals in X-ray irradiated human fingernails for the establishment of a dose reconstruction procedure

Abstract The retrospective dosimetry that follows accidental X-ray exposure is becoming more significant for improving radiation diagnosis and treatment. We investigated the dosimetric properties of electron spin resonance (ESR) signals in X-ray irradiated fingernails under conditions that resemble realistic situations. We collected fingernails from 12 Japanese donors between the ages of 30 to 70. The sampled fingernails were utilized for X-ray irradiation, mechanical stimulation and background measurements. We also collected 10 toenails from one of the donors to evaluate their differences from fingernails. Additionally, we prepared 15 samples from two donors to compare the signals generated by γ-rays to those by X-rays. After observing the linear dose–response for both X- and γ-ray irradiated samples, we found that the sensitivity of the air-absorbed dose of γ-ray irradiated samples was identical to that of X-ray irradiated samples. The effect from secondary electrons seemed to be small in fingernails. The inter-individual variation in the sensitivity was no greater than the intra-individual variation. The signal intensities in each measurement fluctuated about the linear response curve, and the size of the fluctuation was dependent on the sample. The average fluctuation corresponded to 1.7 Gy, and the standard deviation was 1.3 Gy. The signal induced by X-rays could be erased by soaking the samples in water and subsequently drying them for four days, which allowed us to estimate the signal intensity prior to the exposure. These characteristics of the ESR signal induced by X-rays facilitate the development of a feasible protocol for fingernail dose reconstruction.