title: Sensitivity of whole human teeth to fast neutrons and gamma-rays estimated by L-band EPR spectroscopy.
abstract: This paper reports the first attempt to use L-band spectroscopy for estimating the sensitivity of whole teeth to fast neutrons and gamma-rays. Three teeth were successively irradiated first with fast neutrons with a wide energy spectrum (mean energy around 30 MeV) up to approximately 160 Gy and then with gamma-rays up to approximately 14 Gy. After each irradiation, L-band (approximately 1 GHz) EPR spectra of each whole tooth surrounded by the surface-coil resonator were recorded, yielding a single composite line principally due to CO2- and native radicals. The sensitivities are estimated by the slopes of the linear dose response curves of the dosimetric CO2- radicals. The ratios of the gamma/neutron sensitivities were found to be in the range 8-9 (+/- 2) for the three teeth.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Universite catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marieta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zdravkova
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Denis
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gallez
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Debuyst
mesh_terms: D001641:Bicuspid / Q000528:radiation effects; D017357:Cyclotrons; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005214:Fast Neutrons; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer; D008963:Molar / Q000528:radiation effects; D009502:Neutrons; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014070:Tooth / Q000528:radiation effects*