The Use of Electron Spin Resonance Techniques to Determine Gamma Ray Exposure of Alpha-Keratin in Human Hair

    January 1997 in “ Purdue e-Pubs (Purdue University) ”
    Thomas Johnson
    TLDR Whole hair strands can reliably measure gamma ray exposure using ESR techniques, but samples should be analyzed quickly or stored in liquid nitrogen.
    The study aimed to evaluate the use of electron spin resonance (ESR) techniques to measure gamma ray exposure in human hair, specifically $\alpha$-keratin. Hair samples from six healthy white volunteers were irradiated with Co-60 gamma rays and analyzed. The study found that ESR signals were consistent and unaffected by ambient humidity, with a strong linear dose response model (correlation coefficient >0.9) for doses between 47 Gy and 370 Gy. However, the lowest detectable dose of 47 Gy was not statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. A decay model for the ESR signal was also developed, indicating that samples should be analyzed within 24 hours or stored in liquid nitrogen to maintain signal integrity. Biological variation affected the rate of signal decay among samples.
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