Radon: Whole Body Dose Rate

[Mark Hart <hart6@popgun.llnl.gov>]

The investigation below is a scientific inquiry and is not directed at a
specific case of defining dose rate.


I am seeking assistance in calculating the whole body internal dose rate
(per hour) in Rad and rem for a human body in equilibrium with a 5
nanocurie/liter radon in air environment. (To keep the calculations
manageable, assume no radon daughter activity and therefore no dose
contribution from radon daughters.)

*** I am already aware of the "working level" measurement concept (1.3 x
10E5 MeV per liter of air).  I am interested in mathematically determining
the average energy deposition in body tissue due to radon alpha emission
without and with the "quality factor" (i.e., Joules/kilogram tissue
{average}).

*** I know traditional analyses focus on lung tissue dose.  In this
analysis, I am specifically looking at internal whole body dose rate due to
the presence of radon dissolved in body fluids.

Secondarily,

1) I would like to know the average activity in curies/liter, or kilogram
tissue, once the human body has reached equilibrium with the surrounding 5
nanocurie/liter environment.

2) I would like to know the amount of time that is required for the human
body to reach approximately 90% of true equilibrium when entering the 5
nanocurie/liter environment from a "non-radon" environment.

3) I would like to know whether this is a linear solution that could be
scaled down to 5 picocurie/liter.

Thank you very much for your assistance, in advance.  Some facets of this
analysis require information that I cannot readily access.  I am very
interested in understanding how the answers are derived and the reference
sources/assumptions used.

Mark

Mark M. Hart
LLNL/L-125, P.O. Box 808
Livermore, CA  94551
925 423-4770  fax 9762


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