Cotton as fortuitous dosimeter in radiological emergency: An EPR preliminary study

In this work we performed an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigation on untreated cotton yarns, following irradiation at 10, 50 and 500 Gy. It represents a preliminary study about the suitability of cotton as a marker of exposure in a radiation accident scenario. Cotton is indeed the most common material among clothing fabrics and a remarkably pure fibre. Moreover, it would allow “to map” the absorbed dose in different parts of the body. To investigate the signals specifically induced by ionizing radiation, we optimized EPR parameters and characterized time dependence of signals at high doses (500 Gy). Then, to evaluate the contribution of the pre-irradiation signal on the radiation specific signals, we also performed EPR measurements on samples irradiated to 50 Gy and 10 Gy. Results highlighted the presence of typical features in the post-irradiation signal distinguishable from the pre-irradiation signal at all the investigated doses. In particular, one feature was identified and discussed as a possible marker of exposure.