Dose estimation by ESR spectroscopy at a fatal radiation accident.

In Norway, 1982, a fatal radiation accident occurred at a radioactive cobalt source used for radiation processing. There was a lack of realistic estimates on the victim's tissue or body doses up to his death. GSF was able to provide the first reliable dose values, upon request from Norwegian colleagues. Dosimetry was performed by ESR spectroscopy of long-lived radiation-induced radicals that could be measured in the heart tablets of the victim. The concentration of the free radicals proved, by proper calibration, to be proportional to dose. Procedures and dose results are reported; comparison is made with data from literature dealing with the same subject and also using TL as well as ESR. For biological relevance, the doses as determined from the tablets are converted into whole-body doses.