https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7734-3162
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Abstract
Purpose
Biological and/or physical assays for retrospective dosimetry are valuable tools to recover the exposure situation and to aid medical decision making. To further validate and improve such biological and physical assays, in 2019, EURADOS Working Group 10 and RENEB performed a field exercise in Lund, Sweden, to simulate various real-life exposure scenarios.
Materials and methods
For the dicentric chromosome assay (DCA), blood tubes were located at anthropomorphic phantoms positioned in different geometries and were irradiated with a 1.36 TBq 192Ir-source. For each exposure condition, dose estimates were provided by at least one laboratory and for four conditions by 17 participating RENEB laboratories. Three radio-photoluminescence glass dosimeters were placed at each tube to assess reference doses.
Results
The DCA results were homogeneous between participants and matched well with the reference doses (≥95% of estimates within ±0.5 Gy of the reference). For samples close to the source systematic underestimation could be corrected by accounting for exposure time. Heterogeneity within and between tubes was detected for reference doses as well as for DCA doses estimates.
Conclusions
The participants were able to successfully estimate the doses and to provide important information on the exposure scenarios under conditions closely resembling a real-life situation.
Acknowledgments
This work was partly supported by European Radiation Dosimetry Group Working Group 10 (EURADOS WG 10), by Running the European Network of Biological and retrospective Physical dosimetry (RENEB) and by Public Health England (PHE). The authors thank all technical staff involved in this exercise for their great contribution to the experimental work.
Author contributions
LW, EA, CW, UO, UK, AW organized and conducted the field test. FT and YR performed experiments and estimation on RPL GD reference doses. SB, JSM, UO, EG, JM prepared fixed cell suspension. UO, JM, SB, EG, JSM, CB, AV, JFB, SS, KL, RH, AM, MM, OMG, MV, LB, OS, LS, MJP, MMS, AT, CP, GT, ST and RH provided dose estimates based on the DCA. AH implemented and provided the Biodose Tools software for dose estimations based on the DCA. DE did the statistical evaluation of the ILC results and wrote the manuscript. All authors reviewed and revised the manuscript.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of PHE.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
David Endesfelder
David Endesfelder, PhD, Biomathematician, section: Biological Dosimetry, Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Oberschleissheim, Germany.
Ursula Oestreicher
Ursula Oestreicher, PhD, Biologist and Head of the Section: Biological Dosimetry, Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Oberschleissheim, Germany.
Ulrike Kulka
Ulrike Kulka, PhD, biologist and head of the section: National and International Cooperation, Reporting, Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Oberschleissheim, Germany.
Elizabeth A. Ainsbury
Elizabeth A. Ainsbury, PhD, MInstP MSRP CSci, Principal Radiation Protection Scientist and Cytogenetics Group Leader, Public Health England Center for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards (PHE CRCE), UK.
Jayne Moquet
Jayne Moquet, PhD, Principal Radiation Protection Scientist, Public Health England, Cytogenetics and Pathology Group, Chilton, UK.
Stephen Barnard
Stephen Barnard, PhD, Senior Radiation Protection Scientist, Public Health England, Cytogenetics and Pathology Group, Chilton, UK.
Eric Gregoire
Eric Gregoire, Scientist, Cytogenetician in Biological Dosimetry, Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Radiobiology of Accidental Exposure Laboratory (LRAcc), Fontenay aux Roses, France.
Juan S. Martinez
Juan S. Martinez, PhD, Researcher, Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Radiobiology of Accidental Exposure Laboratory (LRAcc), Fontenay aux Roses, France.
François Trompier
François Trompier, PhD and Engineer in Nuclear Science, Physicist, Institute of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Unit, Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry Laboratory, Fontenay-aux Roses, France.
Yoann Ristic
Yoann Ristic, Research Technician in Nuclear Science, Institute of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Unit, Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry Laboratory, Fontenay-aux Roses, France.
Clemens Woda
Clemens Woda, PhD, Physicist, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Germany.
Lovisa Waldner
Lovisa Waldner, MSc, Medical Physicist and PhD student, Medical Radiation Physics, Malmö, Institution of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Sweden.
Christina Beinke
Christina Beinke, PhD, Biologist, Bundeswehr Institute of Radiobiology affiliated to the University of Ulm, Munich, Germany.
Anne Vral
Anne Vral, PhD, full Professor and Head of the Radiobiology Research Group at Ghent University, Belgium.
Joan-Francesc Barquinero
Joan-Francesc Barquinero, PhD, Biologist, University Professor, Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biosciencies, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Spain.
Alfredo Hernandez
Alfredo Hernández, MSc, Physicist and Data Scientist, Independent Researcher, London, UK.
Sylwester Sommer
Sylwester Sommer, PhD, Radiobiologist, Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (INCT), Unit: Radiobiology and Biological Dosimetry, Warsaw, Poland.
Katalin Lumniczky
Katalin Lumniczky, M.D., PhD, Radiation Biologist, National Public Health Center, Department of Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, Unit of Radiation Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
Rita Hargitai
Rita Hargitai, PhD, Biologist, National Public Health Center, Department of Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, Unit of Radiation Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
Alegría Montoro
Alegría Montoro, PhD in Biology and Master’s Degree in Occupational Hazard Prevention, specializing in hygiene and security. Supervisor for radioactive facilities and head of the biodosimetry laboratory in the Radiation Protection Service (RPS), University-Polytechnic Hospital La Fe,Valencia, Spain.
Mirta Milic
Mirta Milić, PhD, Molecular Biologist and Toxicologist, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Mutagenesis Unit, Zagreb, Croatia.
Octávia Monteiro Gil
Octávia Monteiro Gil, PhD, Biology-Genetic, Instituto Superior Técnico, Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares (C2TN/IST/ULisboa), Bobadela, Portugal.
Marco Valente
Marco Valente, PhD, Biologist, Cytogenetician, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute (IRBA), Lab: Biological Dosimetry Lab (LDBI), Brétigny-sur-Orge, France.
Laure Bobyk
Laure Bobyk, PhD, Biologist, French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute (IRBA), Lab: Biological Dosimetry Lab (LDBI), Brétigny-sur-Orge, France.
Olga Sevriukova
Olga Sevriukova, PhD, Biophysician, Radiation Protection Center (RSC), Division of public exposure monitoring, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Laure Sabatier
Laure Sabatier, PhD, Research Director, Radiobiologist with molecular cytogenetics expertise, coordinator of biology and health programs and infrastructures at the fundamental research division of the french Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).
María Jesús Prieto
María Jesús Prieto, BSc, Biological Sciences, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón (HGUGM), Biological Dosimetry, Madrid, Spain.
Mercedes Moreno Domene
Mercedes Moreno Domene, MSc in Radiation Biology, biologist, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Centro Radiopatología, Laboratorio Dosimetría Biológica, Madrid, Spain.
Antonella Testa
Antonella Testa, Radiobiologist, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Department for Sustainability, Division Health Protection Technologies, Laboratory Health and Environment, Rome, Italy.
Clarice Patrono
Clarice Patrono, PhD, Biologist, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Department for Sustainability, Division Health Protection Technologies, Laboratory Health and Environment, Rome, Italy.
Georgia Terzoudi
Georgia Terzoudi, PhD, Physicist and Radiobiologist, Director of Research at the Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, working in the Health Physics, Radiobiology & Cytogenetics Laboratory, National Center for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’ Athens, Greece.
Sotiria Triantopoulou
Sotiria Triantopoulou, MSc, Medical Physicist, working in the Health Physics, Radiobiology & Cytogenetics Lab, National Center for Scientific Research, NCSR ‘Demokritos’, Athens, Greece.
Rositsa Histova
Rositsa Hristova, PhD, Associate Professor, Head of Radiobiology Department, National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Bulgaria.
Andrzej Wojcik
Andrzej Wojcik, PhD, is Professor of Radiation Biology at the Stockholm University (Sweden) and Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce (Poland). Wojcik focuses on studying cellular effects of radiation, with special focus on factors influencing the radiosensitivity and on combined exposure to radiations of different qualities.