Article: A review of measurements of radionuclides in members of the public in the UK

[John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>]

This may be of interest:



 Journal of Radiological Protection

  Volume 24, December 2004

  http://www.iop.org/EJ/toc/-alert=1221/0952-4746/24/4



    A review of measurements of radionuclides in

members of the public in the UK

    

S A Hodgson, G J Ham, M J Youngman, G Etherington and

G N Stradling



2004 J. Radiol. Prot. 24 369-389



Abstract: 

http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/-alert=1221/0952-4746/24/4/002



Full text:

http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/-alert=1221/0952-4746/24/4/002/jrp4_4_002.pdf



    This paper summarises a comprehensive review of

radio-analytical data from autopsy, whole or partial

body monitoring and the assay of teeth, foetuses and

urine for non-occupationally exposed members of the

public in the UK between 1957 and 2003. Most attention

has been given to measurements of artificial

radionuclides formed in the nuclear fuel cycle,

uranium and thorium.



The review concentrates on measurements on people in

the UK who live or have lived in the vicinity of

nuclear power sites. When UK data are unavailable, or

for the purposes of comparison, information has been

included from studies in other countries.





Highlights of key findings of the document are listed:





** The concentrations of strontium-90 in bone and

teeth have reflected changes in the amounts present in

the environment due to fallout from nuclear testing. 



** There are higher concentration levels of 239+240Pu

in samples from West Cumbria compared with the rest of

the UK. However, the levels are so low that any

increase in risk of induced skeletal tumours

(including leukaemia) would be very small compared

with those arising from the intake of natural

radionuclides. 



** As expected there have been only a few published

autopsy studies. Both tissue sample mass and

radionuclide concentrations were low, leading to

relatively large measurement uncertainties. 



** Whole body measurements of 137Cs in residents in

Berkshire and Oxfordshire clearly show the effect of

atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons and of the

Chernobyl accident. 



** A survey of whole body 137Cs and 134Cs content

following the Chernobyl accident showed that residents

of Central Scotland, North-West England and North

Wales had twice the radiocaesium content of residents

in the rest of England and Wales. 



** Measurements of 131I in the thyroid have been

reported following the accidents at Windscale and

Chernobyl for most regions of the UK. 



** Few excretion studies have been reported although

this does not diminish their importance. One study on

the urinary excretion rate of 90Sr in adults and

children living in the Dounreay area suggested that

the results did not support this radionuclide as being

the cause of increased childhood leukaemia. Similar

conclusions were drawn from another study involving

the assay of 239Pu.



It is suggested that a national database of

measurements made on members of the public should be

initiated. The database would provide a means for

identifying future trends.



=====

+++++++++++++++++++

"Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate; now what's going to happen to us with both a Senate and a House?"

Will Rogers 





-- John

John Jacobus, MS

Certified Health Physicist

e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com



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