Comparison of the distribution of doses summarised over different periods of time

Track dosemeters are very useful devices for dose assessment. The low cost and relatively simple procedures of dose calculation allow the mass distribution of track dosemeters in the population of exposed people. Because of the large number of measurements, observations may be made that would not be possible if the number of measurements were low. One such observation is the unexpected difference between the parameters of the annual dose distribution and the distribution of short-term doses. This difference may have a strong impact on lifetime dose or risk calculations. Much epidemiological data are based on the extrapolation of the distribution of short-term doses into the distribution of the lifetime dose. How the distribution of lifetime doses is spread is more complicated. The answer depends on the period of the single measurement.