title: A versatile plutonium-238 irradiator for radiobiological studies with alpha-particles.
abstract: A versatile irradiator has been constructed for in vitro irradiation of mammalian cells with alpha-particles of well-defined energy, LET, direction, dose and dose rate. It is based on approximately 1.2 x 10(9) Bq of 238Pu (on a platinum disc) contained in a He-filled chamber. In a standard configuration, monolayers of cells grown in 10 Hostaphan-based dishes are irradiated with 3.26 +/- 0.22 MeV alpha-particles (LET 121 keV microns-1) at selectable dose rates from approximately 2 Gy min-1 down to less than 10(-4) Gy min-1 (i.e. fluence rates of 1 x 10(7) cm-2 min-1 to 3 x 10(2) cm-2 min-1). Single dishes can be irradiated at dose rates up to 24 Gy min-1 (fluence rate 1 x 10(8) cm-2 min-1). Incident energy and LET can be varied from 0.8 to 4.2 MeV and 266 to 102 keV microns-1, respectively. The irradiator has full incubation and gassing facilities for protracted irradiations. The irradiator is particularly suitable for in vitro analytical studies of the biological effects of alpha-particles of energies and LETs similar to those which cells may receive in vivo from radionuclides such as radon and the actinides. It has been used successfully for investigations of a variety of alpha-particle-induced effects in different cell types irradiated either as attached monolayers or as very thin suspensions.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Radiobiology Unit, Chilton, Didcot, UK.
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Goodhead
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bance
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stretch
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D000512:Alpha Particles; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D011005:Plutonium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011853:Radiobiology / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D011005:Plutonium