Biological Dosimetry for Pu-239 Inhalation

“Dose–response“ and “radioactivity level in the body–response” relationships that were set earlier for three types of chromosomal aberrations (dicentrics, stable aberrations and total aberrations) enabled the development of the biodosimetry system. This system allows the estimation of individual doses and ²³⁹Pu activity body levels in Mayak PA workers due to acute or chronic inhalation of plutonium compounds that are characterised by low transportability. The relative error of individual radiation doses absorbed in the lungs estimated by the biodosimetry system (based on stable CA and total CA) varied between 5.4 and 83.6% (with an average of 39.8%). On the other hand, the relative error in the individual estimate of ²³⁹Pu activity in the body due to chronic exposure similarly varied within a relatively narrow range: from 6.2 to 51.6% (the average of 42.8%). The relative uncertainty of the dose estimate for acute plutonium exposure averaged around 35%.