Impact of reading pre-irradiation background signal on the post-irradiation glow curves of thermoluminescence dosimeters

► To investigate to what extent background reading affects the readout of the dosimeters. ► Background reading enhances the radiation sensitivity of the dosimeters. ► Background reading change positions and relative intensities of peaks of the glow curves. ► It is highly advisable to perform background TLD measurements before an irradiation.