OSL dosimetry with table salt for mass screening of individual doses during radiological or nuclear emergencies

The ongoing war in Ukraine is associated with unprecedented radiological threats to the public in Ukraine and the neighboring countries. This calls for fundamental revision of the preparedness plans and established approaches to radiological monitoring of the populations affected by potential radiological emergencies. Dosimetric information will be needed for triage of victims and support to decision makers for prioritizing mitigation actions. Retrospective dosimetry methods strive to find a solution that would achieve this and enable fast and accurate feedback with information on individual doses to the concerned public. All known approaches to emergency dosimetry, both in biological and physical (instrumental) dosimetry have limitations, in particular – preventive cost, limited availability of samples for analysis, insufficient sensitivity (high dose threshold) and/or stability of radiation-induced markers (i.e. high fading). At the moment each of considered dose assessment methods possesses some combination of the aforesaid limitations. A suggestion to overcome these deficiencies is to use ordinary table salt (NaCl), read by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), with well-known good dosimetric properties, and which allows anybody to prepare improvised individual dosemeters at home to be carried like a regular personal dosemeter until readout of the OSL signal is possible. This paper considers pros and cons of the use of NaCl as an OSL dosemeter in an emergency situation, with emphasis on practical aspects of its application for mass dose assessments for individuals among populations affected by radiological emergency situations.