Low-cost commercial borosilicate glass slides for passive radiation dosimetry

PLoS One. 2020 Dec 30;15(12):e0241550. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241550. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

For x- and gamma- irradiations delivering entrance doses from 2- up to 1000 Gy to commercial 1.0 mm thick borosilicate glass microscope slides, study has been made of their thermoluminescence yield. With an effective atomic number of 10.6 (approximating bone equivalence), photon energy dependency is apparent in the low x-ray energy range, with interplay between the photoelectric effect and attenuation. As an example, over the examined dose range, at 120 kVp the photon sensitivity has been found to be some 5× that of 60Co gamma irradiations, also with repeatability to within ~1%. The glow-curves, taking the form of a single prominent broad peak, have been deconvolved yielding at best fit a total of five peaks, the associated activation energies and frequency factors also being obtained. The results indicate borosilicate glass slides to offer promising performance as a low-cost passive radiation dosimeter, with utility for both radiotherapy and industrial applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Boron Compounds / chemistry*
  • Boron Compounds / radiation effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation
  • Gamma Rays
  • Humans
  • Photons*
  • Radiation Dosage
  • Radiation Dosimeters*
  • Silicates / chemistry
  • Silicates / radiation effects*
  • Thermoluminescent Dosimetry / instrumentation*
  • Thermoluminescent Dosimetry / methods
  • X-Rays

Substances

  • Boron Compounds
  • Silicates

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research at Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University, through the Fast-track Research Funding (FRF) Program awarded to KSA (1000-ftfp-21). The funders played a role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, and preparation of the manuscript.