Updating the tritium quality factor: the argument for conservatism

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5453366

Till, J E; Etnier, E L; Meyer, H R

Estimated doses resulting from tritium releases to the environment are linearly dependent upon the quality factor (Q) chosen for tritium beta radiation. In 1969 the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommended using 1 as the Q for all low energy beta radiation. Considerable improvements have been made in evaluating exposures to tritium at very low dose rates and in refining physiological and biological endpoints since the 1969 ICRP recommendations. This study summarizes recent experiments to determine the relative biological effectiveness of tritium. Based upon our study of published data related to quality factor, its importance in the calculation of dose, and the currently accepted conservative philosophy in radiation protection, it is concluded that a value of 2 would seem to be more defensible for environmental assessments and that a reevaluation of the tritium quality factor by the ICRP is needed.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5453366
• Report Number(s): CONF-800427-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
655001* -- Medical Physics-- Radiation Protection Standards
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
EVALUATION
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LOW DOSE IRRADIATION
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
QUALITY FACTOR
RADIOISOTOPES
RBE
SAFETY STANDARDS
STANDARDS
TRITIUM
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES