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Population and worker exposure from high-level waste production and management

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5546830
; ;
This paper compares the estimates of radiological exposure for nuclear industry workers with those for offsite populations. Occupational exposures, which are routine and chronic, are always measurable because of the control conditions and available of proper equipment. By comparison, doses to the offsite public results from very diluted concentrations of radionuclides in the environment, resulting from restricted releases of radioactive materials or (under unusual circumstances) the transportation of wastes. Thus, estimates of doses to the offsite public must take into account the release and transport of radiation through the environment, and therefore must be calculated rather than measured. Data are provided showing that production and waste-management activities at those Department of Energy (DOE) sites have resulted in reported occupational doses of up to 500 mrem/man-year while offsite, population doses have averaged up to 0.05 mrem/person, with a maximum individual annual dose of up to 0.7 mrem. By comparison, a commercial jet flight of five hours may result in a dose of 2.5 mrem, depending on altitude and geographic latitude. 11 refs., 2 tabs.
Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
5546830
Report Number(s):
PNL-SA-15141; CONF-8709104-11; ON: DE88003947
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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