The use of solid-state nuclear track detectors in radiation dosimetry, medicine and biology

Abstract

Over the last ∼ 20 yrs, solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs) have found increasing applications in nearly all branches of science and technology. In this review paper, applications in radiation protection and life sciences are briefly surveyed. The major emphasis in the paper is on the use of plastic track detectors for the dosimetry of neutrons, both thermal and fast. While the thermal-neutron dosimetry usually requires the use of a ‘converter screen’ to generate charged particles which can leave etchable tracks in the plastic, fast and intermediate-energy neutrons can produce tracks directly in the plastic through interactions with the constituent nuclei of the detector material itself (the polymer). The next area considered in the paper is α-particle dosimetry, with special emphasis on radon measurements in houses. Both active and passive dosimeters are briefly considered. A few typical and representative examples of the application of SSNTDs in the medical and radiobiological fields are next presented. These encompass the filtration of malignant cells in blood, the measurement of α-emitters in the environment, and the distribution of lead in teeth and bones. The paper ends with a very brief review of some automatic and semi-automatic methods of scanninng the etched plastics for the purposes of track-density and track-parameter measurements—after either normal or electrochemical etching of the plastic detectors.