Citation

Youngman MJ, Etherington G, Smith JR. Radiat. Prot. Dosimetry 2003; 105(1-4): 473-476.

Affiliation

National Radiological Protection Board, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK. mike.youngman@nrpb.org

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Oxford University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

14527011

Abstract

In a nuclear weapon accident involving fire or conventional explosion, most of the radiation dose received by people in the immediate vicinity would result from inhalation of 239Pu. This is accompanied by the nuclide 241Am, which is much easier to determine by external counting because of the 60 keV gamma ray emission. In the event of an accident, a priority would be to identify any people who have had intakes of 239Pu which were so large that decorporation therapy should be considered. Direct measurement of lung content provides the most rapid and convenient method for assessing intakes by inhalation. A transportable system has been considered as this could be deployed close to the site of the accident and would allow rapid measurements to be made. The feasibility of a transportable 241Am-in-nose-blow and nasal swab measurement system has also been considered. This would be used to help select people for 241Am-in-lung measurements.

Language: en