Testing different luminescence measurement protocols for display glass as an accident dosimeter

Luminescence dosimetry plays an essential role in retrospective assessments of radiation exposure, particularly in scenarios involving accidental overexposure. This study examines the effectiveness of various luminescence measurement protocols applied to display glass from mobile phones, specifically targeting their potential as accident dosimeters. The efficacy of established protocols, including the pre-bleached thermoluminescence (TL) protocol, the photo-transferred TL (PTTL) protocol, and the thermally assisted optically stimulated luminescence (Ta-OSL) protocols, was evaluated in order to ascertain their performance in accurately reconstructing absorbed doses. An intact Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone was subjected to gamma irradiation using a Cs-137 source at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), thereby simulating a realistic exposure scenario. Following the gamma irradiation, the display glass was chemically pre-treated before being shipped to the Luminescence Laboratory in Salzburg for further measurements and analysis. The luminescence signals were measured using a luminescence reader, with specific stimulation wavelengths (violet, blue and infrared) and readout temperatures tailored to each protocol. The results show that the accuracy of dose reconstruction is slightly different for the different protocols, but in general the results indicate that all protocols (PTTL and the various Ta-OSL protocols) have at least equivalent performance to the established pre-bleached TL protocol. Furthermore, the study compares the signal fading correction methods using a universal or an individual correction approach, which is crucial for correcting the signal loss due to sample storage time since the exposure. This research highlights the potential of mobile phone display glass as a practical and accessible item for retrospective dosimetry, contributing to the field of radiation protection and emergency response. The findings provide a basis for future studies aimed at refining luminescence measurement techniques and extending their application in real-world scenarios.