WG2 Operational Basis

The Operational Basis comprises tested and approved techniques, ready to be used in emergency situations: dicentric assay, FISH assay, micronucleus assay, PCC assay, Gamma-H2AX assay, gene expression assay and EPR/OSL assay on personal objects.

The selection of the assays was based on the recommendations of the IAEA & WHO for individual dose estimation (IAEA EPR-Biodosimetry)  and  the outcome of the MULTIBIODOSE project (Multi-disciplinary biodosimetric tools to manage high scale radiological casualties www.multibiodose.eu ).

WP2 organises intercomparisons to keep the information about capacity and capability of the operational basis up to date.

Currently, the best methods of biological dosimetry are based on the analysis of chromosomal damage (dicentric assay, micronucleus assay and translocations detecting assays) in blood cells and electron paramagnetic resonance in bone and tooth enamel. These methods have been validated in a number of small-scale radiation accidents and have been shown to be reliable tools for individual dose assessment (IAEA EPR-Biodosimetry).

A number of new biodosimetric methods have recently been introduced, such as premature chromosome condensation (PCC), fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), DNA damage detecting assay – γ-H2AX and gene expression assays. In addition, the EPR/OSL method on personal objects (portable electronic devices, chip cards), although strictly speaking not a biodosimetric method, has been shown to have the potential to be an excellent supplementary dosimetry tool (multibiodose guideline).

As has been shown in Teneb final report one or more of these methods are established in many European laboratories, but what is lacking is formal networking, which would facilitate the standardisation of the assays. RENEB provides a framework for regular intercomparison studies and accident exercises that guarantee rapid response and reliable dose estimates from all partner laboratories. In this regard, RENEB runs a “ready to use” operational basis which 6 established biodosimetric tools, namely the dicentric assay, the FISH assay, the micronucleus assay, the PCC assay, the γ-H2AX assay, gene expression assay and retrospective physical assays as electron paramagnetic resonance/optically stimulated luminescence – EPR/OSL. All these techniques are compared, standardized and harmonized in the participating laboratories to guarantee the highest possible reliability and accuracy.