Simulations of the radiological consequences from accidents involving the transport of diagnostic radionuclides

The transportation of radioactive material is often dedicated at delivering medical radionuclides from production facilities to hospitals and clinics. HotSpot simulations are conducted to assess the radiological impact of hypothetical road transport accidents followed by fires, involving alternatively 18F, 99Mo, 123I, or 201Tl, each at International Atomic Energy Agency transport regulation A2 activity level. The impact of burning fuel quantity, wind speed, atmospheric stability, and nuclide solubility is analysed. The findings indicate that the total effective dose (TED) increases if the burning fuel quantity decreases; the wind speed increases; the atmospheric stability decreases. Radionuclide solubility may have contrasting effects on TED, depending on the chemical element. Under the most unfavorable conditions, the calculated TED (in Sv) is equal to 6.52 × 10-7 (18F), 7.34 × 10-8 (99Mo), 2.36 × 10-6 (123I), and 6.27 × 10-6 (201Tl). Finally, the TED is calculated for several diagnostic nuclides applying the worst-case scenario.