Time evolution of radiation-induced EPR signals in different types of mobile phone screen glasses

Abstract

In this study, samples of smart phone touch screen glass sheets and tempered glass screen protectors were examined with respect to their potential application in the dosimetry of ionizing radiation. The glass samples were obtained from various phones with different types of glass. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of the radiation-induced signals (RIS) are presented and their dose dependence within a dose range of 0–20 Gy. Despite the observed fading with time of the dosimetric components of the signal, the remaining RIS turned out to be strong enough for a reliable dosimetry even 18 month after irradiation. The study also shows that crushing of the glass sheets and water treatment of the samples have no effect on the background and dosimetric EPR signals.

Comparison of three methods of EPR retrospective dosimetry in watch glass

“…The rapid decay of slope of those calibration lines within the first 30 days after irradiation reflects a rapid decay of RIS. This is in accordance with observations of Juniewicz et al (15), who also reported rapid decay of RIS within the first 10 days after irradiation. The greatest decay (about 30%) of the RIS was observed up to 50 days after irradiation.…”

“…Materials that come into close contact with humans, such as the screen of a mobile phone or the glass of a watch, are particularly attractive. They have many advantages for potential retrospective dosimetry, such as widespread availability, resistance to water, chemical inertness ( 10 , 15 , 16 ) and non-invasive sampling. However, the reliability of EPR dosimetry in glass requires consideration of several major confounding factors.…”

The effect of sunlight and UV lamp exposure on EPR signals in X-ray irradiated touch screens of mobile phones

“…6 d). This result is consistent with those in a previous study (Juniewicz et al 2019 ), in which the authors observed a quantitatively similar rate of decay of the RIS components in TG samples. Comparison of the sensitivity to light of the studied samples showed that even a few minutes of exposure of the MG, GG, and iPhone 6S samples to light including a UV component caused a 20–60% decrease of the RIS component (Figs.…”

“…Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals have been observed in different types of commercial glasses (window glass, windscreen glass, watch glass, glass used for cathode ray tubes, and glass kitchenware) after their exposure to ionising radiation (Engin et al 2006 ; Teixeira et al 2008 ). The EPR signals generated by doses of a few grays are stable enough to be measured even months after irradiation (Bassinet et al 2010 ; Trompier et al 2011 ; Juniewicz et al 2019 ; Bortolin et al 2019 ). Therefore, these materials may be used as potential fortuitous individual dosimeters in radiation accidents.…”

A Practical Method for EPR Dosimetry Using Alanine Powder

“…Studies that have used alanine powder as dosimeters have reported measuring doses as low as 100 mGy without performing complex spectra analysis to evaluate the dosimetric signal (Al-Karmi and Morsy 2008). However, this particular study did note a background signal that the present authors believe to be due to the irradiation of samples inside glass tubes, which have been noted to exhibit a radiation-dependent EPR response (Bassinet et al 2010;Juniewicz et al 2019;Trompier et al 2009). This is further discussed in the discussion of results.…”