New trends in luminescence dose reconstruction using natural material and personal objects.

In recent years, especially after the Chernobyl accident, techniques and methodology of luminescence dose reconstruction using fired building material have advanced to such an extent that radiation from anthropogenic sources as low as 10mGy can be resolved within two years after the event. It was demonstrated that luminescence measurements using bricks combined with Monte-Carlo simulations of photon transport for a given source geometry and distribution can provide quantities to derive doses for populations or groups of people living in contaminated areas that can be used for epidemiological studies.   In this presentation, recent approaches in luminescence dose reconstruction using un-fired building materials such as concrete and silica brick will be reviewed and the possible use of personal artefacts such as telephone chip cards or prosthetic and restorative teeth will be discussed.   The review will include the results of the joint efforts of the international team supported by the EU at the Chernobyl affected territories, areas affected due to activities of Plutonium production facilities in Southern Urals (Russia), and settlements around the Semipalatinsk nuclear bomb test sites