The feasibility of using {sup 129}I to reconstruct {sup 131}I desposition from the Chernobyl reactor accident
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); and others
Radioiodine released to the atmosphere from the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the spring of 1986 resulted in large-scale thyroid-gland exposure of populations in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Because of the short half life of {sup 131}I (8.04 d), adequate data on the intensities and patterns of iodine deposition were not collected, especially in the regions where the incidence of childhood-thyroid cancer is now increasing. Results are presented from a feasibility study that show that accelerator-mass-spectrometry measurements of {sup 129}I (half life 16 {times} 10{sup 6}y) in soil can be used to reconstruct {sup 131}I-deposition density and thus help in the thyroid-dosimetry effort that is now urgently needed to support epidemiologic studies of childhood-thyroid cancer in the affected regions. 32refs., 9 figs., 3 tabs.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 416469
- Journal Information:
- Health Physics, Journal Name: Health Physics Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 71; ISSN HLTPAO; ISSN 0017-9078
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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