Determination of neutron dose from criticality accidents with bioassays for sodium-24 in blood and phosphorus-32 in hair

Technical Report · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10171042· OSTI ID:10171042

Feng, Y; Miller, L F ^[1]; Brown, K S; Casson, W H; Mei, G T; Thein, M ^[2]

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1. Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

A comprehensive review of accident neutron dosimetry using blood and hair analysis was performed and is summarized in this report. Experiments and calculations were conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Tennessee (UT) to develop measurement techniques for the activity of {sup 24}Na in blood and {sup 32}P in hair for nuclear accident dosimetry. An operating procedure was established for the measurement of {sup 24}Na in blood using an HPGe detector system. The sensitivity of the measurement for a 20-mL sample is 0.01-0.02 Gy of total neutron dose for hard spectra and below 0.005 Gy for soft spectra based on a 30- to 60-min counting time. The operating procedures for direct counting of hair samples are established using a liquid scintillation detector. Approximately 0.06-0.1 Gy of total neutron dose can be measured from a 1-g hair sample using this procedure. Detailed procedures for chemical dissolution and ashing of hair samples are also developed. A method is proposed to use blood and hair analysis for assessing neutron dose based on a collection of 98 neutron spectra. Ninety-eight blood activity-to-dose conversion factors were calculated. The calculated results for an uncollided fission spectrum compare favorably with previously published data for fission neutrons. This nuclear accident dosimetry system makes it possible to estimate an individual`s neutron dose within a few hours after an accident if the accident spectrum can be approximated from one of 98 tabulated neutron spectrum descriptions. If the information on accident and spectrum description is not available, the activity ratio of {sup 32}P in hair and {sup 24}Na in blood can provide information related to the neutron spectrum for dose assessment.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 10171042
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-12028; ON: DE93016886; TRN: 93:017861
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: Jun 1993
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
NEUTRON DOSIMETRY
HAIR
BIOASSAY
BLOOD
CRITICALITY
SODIUM 24
PHOSPHORUS 32
RADIATION DOSES
SCINTILLATION COUNTING
QUENCHING
560101
560160
DOSIMETRY AND MONITORING
RADIONUCLIDE EFFECTS, KINETICS, AND TOXICOLOGY