Dosimetry for Use in Preparedness and Response to Radiological and Nuclear Emergency

Abstract

Lessons learned from responses to past radiological and nuclear emergencies have shown that more guidance is needed for assessing doses to those who were affected in emergency exposure situation. The chapter introduces system of dosimetric quantities for use in emergency preparedness and response to nuclear or radiological emergency, which includes RBE-weighted absorbed dose in tissue or organ for evaluation of the risk of severe deterministic effects, equivalent dose in tissue or organ for evaluation of the risk of stochastic effects, and effective dose for evaluation of the detriment due to undetectable stochastic effects. The chapter also provides internationally proved criteria for protection of individual in emergency exposure situation and framework of dose and risk assessment in an emergency. The special attention has been put on evaluation of available sources of dosimetric data needed for dose and risk assessment in an emergency.