Optimising cylinder model dimensions for VARSKIN to simulate a droplet of radionuclide skin contamination using...

VARSKIN provides a convenient way of calculating skin dose from predefined geometries but the models are limited to concentric shapes such as discs, cylinders and point sources. The aim of this article is to use the Geant4 Monte Carlo code to independently compare the cylindrical geometries available in VARSKIN to more realistic droplet models obtained from photography. It may then be possible to recommend an appropriate cylinder model that can be used to represent a droplet within acceptable accuracy.

Geant4 Monte Carlo code was used to model various droplets of radioactive liquid on the skin based on photographs. The dose rates were then calculated to the sensitive basal layer 70 µm beneath the surface for three droplet volumes (10, 30 and 50 µl) and 26 radionuclides. The dose rates from the cylinder models were then compared against the dose rates from the 'true' droplet models.

The table gives the optimum cylinder dimensions that best approximate a true droplet shape for each volume. The mean bias and 95% confidence interval (CI) from the true droplet model are also quoted.

The evidence from the Monte Carlo data suggests that different droplet volumes require different cylinder aspect ratios to approximate the true droplet shape. Using the cylinder dimensions in the table in software packages such as VARSKIN, dose rates from radioactive skin contamination are expected to be within ± 7.4% of a 'true' droplet model at 95% CI.