Estimation of the contribution of short-lived radioiodines to the thyroid dose for the public in case of inhalation intake following the Fukushima accident

• Published in: Radiation protection dosimetry 2015-04, Vol.164 (1-2), p.51-56
• Main Authors: Shinkarev, S M, Kotenko, K V, Granovskaya, E O, Yatsenko, V N, Imanaka, T, Hoshi, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption, Radiation - physiology; Administration, Inhalation; Computer Simulation; Fukushima Nuclear Accident; Half-Life; Humans; Iodine Radioisotopes - administration & dosage; Iodine Radioisotopes - pharmacokinetics; Models, Biological; Radioactive Fallout - analysis; Radiometry - methods; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Thyroid Gland - metabolism
• ISSN: 0144-8420; 1742-3406
• DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncu335

The purpose of this paper is to present (1) the method of assessing the contribution of short-lived radioiodines to the thyroid for members of the public in Fukushima and neighbouring prefectures based on available data and (2) the results of a realistic assessment of such a contribution. The estimates of that contribution for the inhalation intake that occurred on the day of the main fallout (15 March 2011) are within 15 % of the dose to the thyroid from (131)I. The contribution to the thyroid dose from intake of (132)Te is higher than that from the intake of (133)I by a factor of ∼3. The contribution of short-lived radioiodines to the thyroid dose for the public in the case of inhalation intake occurring as early as March 12 might be as great as 30-40 %.