Thyroid dosimetry in the western trace of the Chernobyl accident plume

According to World Health Organization guidelines (WHO/SDE/PHE/99.6), the reference level for consideration in stable iodine prophylaxis is based on the inhalation exposure pathway. In the western trace of the Chernobyl accident, the measurement of airborne 131I fractions (aerosol-associated, gaseou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Radiation protection dosimetry 2004-01, Vol.108 (2), p.133-141
Main Authors: Nedveckaite, T., Filistovic, V., Mastauskas, A., Thiessen, K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Air Pollutants, Radioactive
Child
Child, Preschool
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Iodine - deficiency
Iodine - urine
Iodine Radioisotopes - chemistry
Lithuania
Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced - epidemiology
Power Plants
Radiation Dosage
Radioactive Hazard Release
Radiometry - methods
Thyroid Gland - radiation effects
Thyroid Neoplasms - epidemiology
Ukraine
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Summary:According to World Health Organization guidelines (WHO/SDE/PHE/99.6), the reference level for consideration in stable iodine prophylaxis is based on the inhalation exposure pathway. In the western trace of the Chernobyl accident, the measurement of airborne 131I fractions (aerosol-associated, gaseous reactive and gaseous organic) indicates that airborne gaseous reactive and, especially, organic 131I fractions were the major contributors to thyroid exposure due to inhalation. The contribution of inhaled short-lived radioiodines was negligible. To attain more precise thyroid exposure evaluation, 131I dose factors were determined as a function of age and prevalence of stable iodine deficiency. The results demonstrate that children with a stable iodine deficiency experienced at least two times higher thyroid doses than did children with a dietary iodine sufficiency. The results of these investigations demonstrate that in thyroid dosimetry it is important to know the stable iodine status as well as to have a standardised method for airborne radioiodine measurements, especially for consideration of stable iodine prophylaxis based on the inhalation exposure pathway.
ISSN:0144-8420
1742-3406
DOI:10.1093/rpd/nch016