Re: dose from beta emitters on skin

[avest@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Albert Lee Vest)]

>On 1/6/95, N. Montgomery wrote:
>
>>Can anyone point me to a method for calculation of dose from beta emitters 
>>on the skin? (i.e., from contamination)
To which Robert M. Loesch responded:
>
>Try VARSKIN for the PC.  The software documentation was published as NRC
>NUREG/CR-5873.  For more information, contact Jim Durham (Pacific Northwest 
>Labs) at (509) 373-0886.
>
>Enjoy ....

I downloaded VARSKIN and did NOT enjoy it.  A more appropriate rejoinder
would be
"Lotsa luck...."  To be fair, though, I admit that I never called Jim Durham
and begged for help.  Maybe he could have got me over the hurdles.

I find this paper more than adequate:

Kocher, DC; and Eckerman, KF. "Electron dose-rate conversion factors for
external exposure of the skin for uniformly deposited activity on the body
surface," Health Physics, 53:135-141; 1987.

Many of their data (dose rate factors, with units of Sv/year per Bq/cm^2)
are presented in the "Health Physics and Radiological Health Handbook" on
page 528.  But I'd advise you to get the paper and read how they went about it.

Albert.
Albert Lee Vest    avest@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Health Physicist   Environmental Health and Safety
(614)292-0122            The Ohio State University
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