Biological Dosimetry for Pu-239 Inhalation

The dose–effect and radionuclide burden–effect relationships that were set earlier for three types of chromosomal aberrations (dicentrics, stable aberrations and total aberrations) enabled the development of a biodosimetry system. This system is shown to enable estimation of individual doses and of 239Pu body burden among Mayak PA workers due to acute or chronic inhalation of low-transportable plutonium compounds. 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% (mean 39.8%). On the other hand, the relative error in the individual estimate of the 239Pu body burden due to chronic exposure varied within a relatively narrow range from 6.2 to 51.6% (mean 42.8%). The relative uncertainty of the dose estimate for acute plutonium exposure averaged around ~35%.