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A COMPARISON OF BETA SKIN DOSES CALCULATED WITH VARSKIN 5.35.3 AND MCNP5
J Dubeau1, S S Hakmana Witharana1, J Sun2
1DETEC, 32 Gatineau Ave, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.
Radiation Protection Dosimetry
|July 28, 2018
Summary
VARSKIN 5.3 calculations for beta particle dosimetry show good agreement with MCNP5 for skin contact. However, VARSKIN underestimates doses by up to 40% when an air gap is present between fabric and skin.
Area of Science:
- Medical Physics
- Radiation Dosimetry
- Computational Modeling
Background:
- VARSKIN 5.3 is a standard code for calculating superficial doses from radioactive contamination.
- Existing benchmarks for VARSKIN are limited, particularly for beta particles and complex geometries.
- Accurate dosimetry is crucial for managing radiation exposure incidents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To benchmark VARSKIN 5.3 against MCNP5 for beta particle dosimetry.
- To evaluate VARSKIN 5.3's accuracy in various exposure scenarios, including those with air gaps.
- To identify potential discrepancies in dose calculations for skin contamination.
Main Methods:
- Dose calculations were performed using both VARSKIN 5.3 and MCNP5.
- Mass-less point beta-emitting sources were simulated in various configurations.
- Comparisons were made with published dose rate conversion factors.
Main Results:
- VARSKIN 5.3 and MCNP5 yielded comparable results for sources in direct skin contact or on fabric.
- Significant underestimation (up to 40%) of doses by VARSKIN 5.3 was observed when an air gap existed between fabric and skin.
- Results agreed well with published dose rate conversion factors for contact scenarios.
Conclusions:
- VARSKIN 5.3 is reliable for direct contact scenarios but requires caution when air gaps are present.
- Further validation of VARSKIN 5.3 is needed for complex geometries involving air gaps.
- MCNP5 provides a valuable benchmark for assessing VARSKIN 5.3's performance in specific situations.
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