A detailed investigation of the TL and OSL trap properties and signal stability of commercial pharmaceutical glass containers towards their use as post-sterilization dosimeters of liquid drugs

Abstract Drug sterilization with ionizing radiation is a well-established technology, which allows the adequate sterilization of heat-sensitive pharmaceutical preparations. However, the effects of irradiated drugs on the consumer when they are introduced in the human body are still unknown. Moreover, appropriate methods and protocols for the detection of irradiated drugs have not been established yet. In two previous studies, the possibility to identify irradiated liquid-state drugs by means of TL and OSL measurements on their glass containers was explored with very promising findings. The present work complements the previous works, conducting a detailed investigation of the TL and OSL trap properties and signal stability on two types of glass containers of liquid pharmaceutical preparations. Both the TL and OSL signals are composed by several components with linear dose response up to several kGy, while their stability with time is good, since an appreciable signal remains unaffected even 6 months post irradiation in both containers. The new findings are very supportive and point towards the efficient use of the glass containers of commercial liquid drugs as probes for the post-sterilization dosimetry and accidental dosimetry of these drugs.