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A unique experiment. Measurement of radiation doses at Vinca

Abstract

For the first time in the history of the peaceful applications of atomic energy, an experiment was conducted to determine the exact levels of radiation exposure resulting from a reactor incident. The experiment was made at Vinca, Yugoslavia, wherein October 1958 six persons had been subjected to high doses of neutron and gamma radiation during a brief uncontrolled run of a zero-power reactor. One of them died but the other five were successfully treated at the Curie Hospital in Paris. In the case of four of them, the treatment involved the grafting of healthy bone marrow to counteract the effects of radiation on blood-forming tissues. It was recognized that if the effects produced on the irradiated persons could be related to the exact doses of radiation they had received, it would be possible to gain immensely valuable knowledge about the biological consequences of acute and high level radiation exposure on a quantitative basis. It was suggested to the Yugoslav authorities that a dosimetry experiment be conducted at Vinca. The most accurate modern techniques of dosimetry developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory were employed during the experiment. Simultaneous measurements of the neutron and gamma doses were made at points where  More>>
Publication Date:
Jul 15, 1960
Product Type:
Journal Article
Resource Relation:
Journal Name: IAEA Bulletin; Journal Volume: 2; Journal Issue: 3; Other Information: 4 photos
Subject:
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY; ACCIDENTS; ACUTE IRRADIATION; BLOOD; BONE MARROW; DOSIMETRY; ENERGY SPECTRA; FAST NEUTRONS; GAMMA RADIATION; HOSPITALS; NUCLEAR ENERGY; PATIENTS; PHANTOMS; RADIATION DOSES; SLOW NEUTRONS; ZERO POWER REACTORS; ACUTE EXPOSURE; ANIMAL TISSUES; BARYONS; BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS; BODY; BODY FLUIDS; BUILDINGS; DOSES; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; ENERGY; EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS; FERMIONS; HADRONS; HEMATOPOIETIC SYSTEM; IONIZING RADIATIONS; IRRADIATION; MATERIALS; MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENTS; MOCKUP; NEUTRONS; NUCLEONS; ORGANS; RADIATIONS; REACTORS; RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS; SPECTRA; STRUCTURAL MODELS
OSTI ID:
21511970
Country of Origin:
IAEA
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Journal ID: ISSN 0020-6067; IAEBAB; TRN: XA10K0569130749
Availability:
Available on-line: http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Magazines/Bulletin/Bull023/02305800306.pdf
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
page(s) 3-6
Announcement Date:
Dec 12, 2011

Citation Formats

None. A unique experiment. Measurement of radiation doses at Vinca. IAEA: N. p., 1960. Web.
None. A unique experiment. Measurement of radiation doses at Vinca. IAEA.
None. 1960. "A unique experiment. Measurement of radiation doses at Vinca." IAEA.
@misc{etde_21511970,
title = {A unique experiment. Measurement of radiation doses at Vinca}
author = {None}
abstractNote = {For the first time in the history of the peaceful applications of atomic energy, an experiment was conducted to determine the exact levels of radiation exposure resulting from a reactor incident. The experiment was made at Vinca, Yugoslavia, wherein October 1958 six persons had been subjected to high doses of neutron and gamma radiation during a brief uncontrolled run of a zero-power reactor. One of them died but the other five were successfully treated at the Curie Hospital in Paris. In the case of four of them, the treatment involved the grafting of healthy bone marrow to counteract the effects of radiation on blood-forming tissues. It was recognized that if the effects produced on the irradiated persons could be related to the exact doses of radiation they had received, it would be possible to gain immensely valuable knowledge about the biological consequences of acute and high level radiation exposure on a quantitative basis. It was suggested to the Yugoslav authorities that a dosimetry experiment be conducted at Vinca. The most accurate modern techniques of dosimetry developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory were employed during the experiment. Simultaneous measurements of the neutron and gamma doses were made at points where the people had been located. At these points the effects of the radiation on the salt solution in the phantoms were studied. In particular, the energy distribution of the radiation was investigated.It was the ratio between the various components of the radiation that was of special interest in these measurements because this ratio itself would help in determining the exact doses. The dose of one of the components, viz. slow neutrons, had already been determined during the treatment of the patients. If the ratio of the components could be ascertained, the doses of the fast neutrons and gamma rays could also be established because the ratio would not be affected by the power level at which the reactor was operated}
journal = []
issue = {3}
volume = {2}
place = {IAEA}
year = {1960}
month = {Jul}
}