External exposure model in the RESRAD computer code

An external exposure model has been developed for the RESRAD computer code that provides flexibility in modeling soil contamination configurations for calculating external doses to exposed individuals. This model is based on the dose coefficients given in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Federal Guidance Report No. 12 (FGR-12) and the point kernel method. It extends the applicability of FGR-12 data to include the effects of different source geometries, such as cover thickness, source thickness, source area, and shape of contaminated area of a specific site. A depth factor function was developed to express the dependence of the dose on the source thickness. A cover-and-depth factor function, derived from this depth factor function, takes into account the dependence of dose on the thickness of the source region and the thickness of the cover above the source region. To further extend the model for realistic geometries, area and shape factors were derived that depend not only on the lateral extent of the contamination, but also on source thickness, cover thickness, and radionuclides present. Results obtained with the model generally compare well with those from the Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code.