title: The use of the dicentric assay for biological dosimetry for radiation accidents in Bulgaria.
abstract: This paper details the construction of a 137Cs gamma calibration curve that has been established for dicentric assay and the testing and validation of the curve through biological dosimetry in three situations of suspected workplace overexposure that arose accidentally or through negligence or lack of appropriate safety measures. The three situations were: (1) suspected 137Cs contamination in a factory air supply; (2) suspected exposure to an industrial 192Ir source; and (3) accidental exposure of construction workers to radiation from a 60Co radiotherapy source in a hospital medical physics department. From a total of 24 potentially-exposed subjects, only one worker was found to have a statistically significant dose (0.16 Gy, 95% confidence intervals 0.02-0.43 Gy). In all other cases, the main function of the biological dosimetry was to reassure the subjects that any dose received was low.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Radiation Genetics, National Centre of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Sofia, Bulgaria. v.hadjidekova@ncrrp.org
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hadjidekova
authors.forename: Rositsa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hristova
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ainsbury
authors.forename: Petya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Atanasova
authors.forename: Ljubomira
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Popova
authors.forename: Albena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staynova
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods*; D001822:Body Burden; D002031:Bulgaria; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D015162:Micronucleus Tests / Q000379:methods*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity