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Increased indoor thoron concentrations and implication to inhalation dosimetry.
J Tschiersch1, W B Li, O Meisenberg
1GSF--National Research Center for Environment and Health, Institute of Radiation Protection, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany. tschiersch@gsf.de
Radiation Protection Dosimetry
|July 20, 2007
Summary
Thoron (220Rn) exposure in homes is a concern. A new model shows lung dose is the main contributor to thoron
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Radiological Physics
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Elevated thoron (220Rn) and progeny concentrations are detected in dwellings.
- This raises concerns regarding accurate thoron dose assessment for residents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To adapt and apply a compartment model for inhaled thoron progenies.
- To examine model parameters influencing thoron dose assessment.
- To evaluate the impact of unattached fraction and particle dissolution on effective dose.
Main Methods:
- A compartment model was adapted for attached and unattached thoron progenies.
- The model was applied to individual inhalation measurements.
- Sensitivity analysis was performed on model parameters like unattached fraction and dissolution half-life.
Main Results:
- The lung dose is the primary contributor to the total thoron effective dose.
- Effective dose coefficients can vary significantly (factor of 2) with the unattached fraction (0.0-0.2).
- Reducing particle dissolution half-life by 10 decreases effective dose by less than 50%.
Conclusions:
- The lung dose is critical in thoron effective dose assessment.
- Accurate measurement of unattached fraction is important for precise dose calculation.
- Estimated mean annual dose for residents is 11 mSv, highlighting the need for exposure control.
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