O2 and glutathione effects on water radiolysis: A simulation study

Abstract

We present a MC simulation of water radiolysis when O2 and glutathione are present in the solution. Our simulation is based on the continuum approximation proposed by Green and co-workers'. We investigate in particular the sensitivity of the yield of HO2•+O2-• to the concentration of O 2 and glutathione and to the LET of the ionising radiation. We demonstrate that the production of HO2•/O 2-• is highly sensitive to these parameters and that the variation of their yield with the O2 concentration shares remarkable similarities with the O2 effect reported for biological cell damage efficiency. © 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd.