title: STUDY OF THE SUITABILITY OF ISRAELI HOUSEHOLD SALT FOR RETROSPECTIVE DOSIMETRY.
abstract: The first results of an in-depth evaluation of the practical potential of common household Israeli salt as a retrospective dosemeter in the event of a nuclear accident or terror attack are presented. Ten brands of salt were investigated with emphasis on four of the bestselling brands that constitute 76 % of the total consumer market. Eight of the ten brands show similar glow curves with two main glow peaks at maximum temperatures of ∼176°C and ∼225°C measured at a heating rate of 1°C s(-1) Chemical analysis of three major brands indicates substantial impurity levels of 200-500 ppm of Ca, K, Mg and S and significant differences of additional ppm trace impurities, which lead to an ∼50 % difference in the TL response of the three major brands. Fading in the dark is in significant but under room light is of the order of 35 % per day. The dose response is linear/supralinear with the threshold of supralinearity at ∼0.01 Gy reaching maximum value of ∼4 at 0.5-1 Gy for two of the major brands. The precision of repeated measurements is ∼10 % (1 SD), but the accuracy of dose assessment under field conditions requires further study.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Safety Division, Soreq Nuclear Research Center, Yavne, Israel datz@soreq.gov.il.
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Datz
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Druzhyna
authors.affiliation: Physics Unit, Sami Shamoon College of Engineering, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Leonid
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Oster
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Orion
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Yigal
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horowitz
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry; D002138:Calibration; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008027:Light; D008274:Magnesium / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D011188:Potassium / Q000737:chemistry; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D000072232:Radiation Dosimeters; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D013455:Sulfur; D008274:Magnesium; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium