Effective Dose Calculation Program (EDCP) for the usage of NORM-added consumer product

Area of Science:

• Radiological Sciences
• Environmental Health
• Consumer Product Safety

Background:

• Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) is present in various consumer products.
• Accurate assessment of radiation exposure from NORM-added products is crucial for public health.
• Existing methods for dose calculation can be complex and less accessible.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an Effective Dose Calculation Program (EDCP) for consumer products containing NORM.
• To create a user-friendly interface (GUI) for ease of use by professionals and the public.
• To validate the accuracy of the EDCP against established mathematical algorithms.

Main Methods:

• Development of the EDCP using a database of effective dose conversion coefficients and MATLAB.
• Implementation of a Graphic User Interface (GUI) for intuitive operation.
• Validation by comparing EDCP-calculated effective doses with a reference mathematical algorithm for various consumer products (pillow, waist supporter, eye-patch, sleeping mattress).

Main Results:

• The EDCP demonstrated high accuracy, with calculated annual effective doses closely matching those from the reference mathematical algorithm (differences < 5%).
• Specific annual effective dose values were calculated for different products, showing good agreement between EDCP and the reference method.
• The program's results were consistent across various assessment cases, confirming its reliability.

Conclusions:

• The developed EDCP is an effective tool for radiation protection management concerning NORM-added consumer products.
• The user-friendly GUI facilitates accessibility for a wider audience, including the public, for radiation protection studies.
• EDCP enhances the ability to assess and manage radiation exposure risks associated with everyday products.