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Technical Basis of Dose Reconstruction

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Book cover Nuclear Physical Methods in Radioecological Investigations of Nuclear Test Sites

Part of the book series: NATO Science Series ((ASDT,volume 31))

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Abstract

There is a long-standing interest in the reconstruction of radiation doses received by populations from the testing of nuclear weapons or from the release of radionuclides associated with the production of special nuclear materials. These ongoing methods of dose reconstruction have evolved over time and have been quite successful in supporting epidemiologic studies and in examining issues related to social justice. Methods of dose reconstruction vary from the analysis of a sample from the exposed individual to the analysis of a sample from the individual’s home, the analysis of environmental residues (such as long-lived radionuclides), or to simpler calculations that are highly dependent upon models. The more reliable methods for reconstructing doses from nuclear weapons tests have focused on using historical measurements of external gamma-exposure rate and on historical or contemporary measurements of the deposition density of long-lived radionuclides. This paper describes in detail the general method of dose reconstruction used in the U.S.A. for doses to residents near the Nevada Test Site.

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  1. Radiobiology Division, University of Utah, 729 Arapeen Drive, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108-1218, USA

    L. R. Anspaugh

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  1. L. R. Anspaugh
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  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA

    Siegfried S. Hecker  & Caroline F. V. Mason  & 

  2. Institute of Nuclear Physics, National Nuclear Centre of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan

    Kairat K. Kadyrzhanov  & Serge B. Kislitsin  & 

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Anspaugh, L.R. (2000). Technical Basis of Dose Reconstruction. In: Hecker, S.S., Mason, C.F.V., Kadyrzhanov, K.K., Kislitsin, S.B. (eds) Nuclear Physical Methods in Radioecological Investigations of Nuclear Test Sites. NATO Science Series, vol 31. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4116-1_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4116-1_14

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