Scientists led by Brazilian researcher Sergio Mascarenhas measured the dose of radiation to which the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima were subjected. For this, the researchers analyzed the bones of the deceased, in which there were traces of radiation. Writes about this publication Science Alert.
Mascarenhas received the remains of people who died on the day of the explosion, including the jaw of a man who was about one kilometer from the epicenter of the nuclear explosion.
Using a method called electron paramagnetic resonance, scientists were able to determine that the dose of ionizing radiation absorbed by the jawbone was 9.46 Gray (Gy). For comparison: with radiation therapy, the tissues of a malignant tumor receive a dose of 2-3 Gy. In this case, a dose of 5 Gy, to which the body is exposed, becomes fatal for a person.
According to scientists, for the first time they were able to measure with high accuracy the radiation dose received by those killed in Hiroshima. This method can also be used to assess the condition of victims of hypothetical radiation contamination.
