Assessment of potential doses at the Maralinga and Emu test sites

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Health Physics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-199212000-00002· OSTI ID:7120437

Haywood, S M; Smith, J G ^[1]

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1. National Radiological Protection Board, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon (United Kingdom)

An assessment has been undertaken of potential doses to future aboriginal inhabitants of the Maralinga and Emu areas of South Australia, where nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s have resulted in residual radioactive contamination. Radioactive material due to this program of tests and other experiments is still detectable several tens of kilometers from some of the test sites. Continued occupancy by individuals following an Aboriginal lifestyle could give rise to annual effective dose equivalents of several mSv within contours enclosing areas of several hundred square kilometers. The most significant dose pathways are calculated to be the inhalation of resuspended activity and ingestion of soil by infants. An analysis of the effects of uncertainties in the dose calculation has indicated the uncertainty distribution on predicted doses from the inhalation pathway.

• OSTI ID: 7120437
• Journal Information: Health Physics; (United States), Journal Name: Health Physics; (United States) Vol. 63:6; ISSN HLTPAO; ISSN 0017-9078
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540230 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560101* -- Biomedical Sciences
Applied Studies-- Radiation Effects-- Dosimetry & Monitoring-- (1992-)
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
AGE GROUPS
AUSTRALASIA
AUSTRALIA
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
CHILDREN
CONTAMINATION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DOSE EQUIVALENTS
DOSES
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
EXPLOSIONS
FALLOUT
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INFANTS
INGESTION
INHALATION
INTAKE
LIFE STYLES
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE DOSE
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
RADIATION DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION HAZARDS
SAFETY STANDARDS
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
STANDARDS
WEAPONS