Uranium Radiation Age-specific Dose Calculator - HELP

(last updated 15 Nov 2022)

Contents:

• Introduction · Input · Exposure Parameters · Consumption Parameters · Output

Introduction

For dose calculations for adults, the Uranium Radiation Individual Dose Calculator offers more options. If organ-specific doses for adults are required, see the Uranium Radiation Organ Dose Calculator.
The calculator only determines exposure to radiation; the chemical toxicity of uranium is not covered (see Uranium Toxicity).
The calculator only determines doses to exposed individuals. For collective dose calculations, see the Nuclear Fuel Population Health Risk Calculator.
The calculator only determines doses for situations, where the pathway and the rate of exposure to a contaminant is known. Otherwise, some more sophisticated software has to be used (see Uranium Mine and Mill Resident Individual Dose Calculator and Dose calculation software).

The parameters used for the calculation can be set in the Input, Exposure Parameters and Consumption Parameters tables. These parameters show reasonable initial values which can be modified as needed. There are no other hidden parameters used in the calculation. Any assumptions made for the calculations are described on this page.

The Calculator uses the dose coefficients from ICRP 72. At present, the dose coefficients of ICRP 60/61 (1990) are widely used, while revised dose coefficients have been presented for workers in ICRP 68 (1995) and for the public in ICRP 72 (1997). The new dose factors show significant differences from the old ones for the nuclides of interest.
The calculator simplistically uses only the committed effective dose coefficients, rather than the organ specific dose coefficients. It thus does not perform the exact calculations prescribed by ICRP; the results are approximations only.

Cautionary Notice:

The user should be aware that several of the parameters used in the biokinetic model for the dose factors are subject to variations and uncertainties, while the calculator produces only one result, without indicating these elements of uncertainty.
> See also: Study assesses uncertainty of ICRP dose factors for ingestion and inhalation of radionuclides

Input

Material Input

Enter number and select appropriate mass unit and material type.
It is assumed that short lived decay products are in equilibrium with their parent nuclides.

Activities [Bq]

No input is required, if data was entered in the Material Input section: the appropriate activities are entered automatically.
But, for nuclide mixes other than those given in the Material Type pick list, activities can be entered directly. It is also possible to modify activity data after selection from the pick list.

Exposure Parameters

Exposure Situation

select one

Rate

Select "once" to calculate dose from single uptake, or any of the other options to determine annual dose rates (assuming continuous exposure).

Parameters

Select appropriate solubility class for inhalation
For inhalation, an activity median aerodynamic diameter (AMAD) of 1 µm is assumed, and the solubility Class can be selected according to the chemical form of the uranium:

Solubility Class	Chemical form	f1
		age <= 1 y	age > 1 y
F	UF6, UO2F2, UO2(NO3)2	0.04	0.02
M	UO3, UF4, UCl4	0.04	0.02
S	UO2, U3O8	0.02	0.002

For decay products, the calculator assumes the same solubility class as for the parent nuclide.
For ingestion, there is no distinction between solubility classes in ICRP 72.

Consumption Parameters

Enter age-specific consumption rates
The "Init data set" pick list and the "Food type" pick list can be used to initialize the consumption values, but own values can also be entered - from scratch or by modifying initialized values. The predefined data sets are from:

• StrlSchV 2001 (Germany) - German Radiation Protection Standards of 2001 (Strahlenschutzverordnung 2001).
• StrlSchV 1989 (Germany) - German Radiation Protection Standards of 1989 (Strahlenschutzverordnung 1989).

The age ranges are defined as follows:

	Age
	3 mo	1 y	5 y	10 y	15 y	Adult
Age range	<= 1 y	> 1 ... <= 2 y	> 2 ... <= 7 y	> 7 ... <= 12 y	> 12 ... <= 17 y	> 17 y

Note for StrlSchV 2001 (Germany): Add another 115 ltr/year to the drinking water amount for age 3 months, if the infant receives no breastfeed (not shown in the pick list).

Output

The contents of the Results field can be highlighted for copying and pasting to other applications.

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