Estimation of the historical radiation dose of Korean radiation workers, 1961-1983

Dalnim Lee, Won Jin Lee, Young Woo Jin, Jiyeong Kim, Soojin Park, Sunhoo Park, Songwon Seo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Accurate dosimetry plays a key role in evaluating the radiation-induced health risks of radiation workers. The National Dose Registry in Korea contains the dose records of radiation workers in nuclear-related occupations since 1984. Thus, radiation doses for workers before 1984 are often sparse or missing. This study aimed to estimate the historical radiation dose before 1984 for radiation workers in Korea based on dose reconstruction models. The dose reconstruction models were derived from the nationwide self-administered questionnaire survey and the personal badge doses for workers in the cohort of the Korean Radiation Worker Study. The mean estimated annual doses between 1984 and 2016 from the dose reconstruction model were 4.67-0.6 mSv, which closely matched the reported doses of 4.51-0.43 mSv. The mean estimated annual doses between 1961 and 1983 based on the exposure scenarios developed by factors associated with radiation doses ranged from 11.08 to 4.82 mSv. The mean estimated annual doses of individuals in the cohort from 1961 to 1983 ranged from 11.15 to 4.88 mSv. Although caution needs to be exercised in the interpretation of these estimations due to uncertainty owed to the nature of extrapolation beyond the range of observed data, this study offers a sense of the radiation doses for workers during Korea's early period of radiation-related activities, which can be a useful piece of information for radiation-induced health risk assessments.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1005
JournalJournal of Radiological Protection
Volume41
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021 Dec

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, funded by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, Republic of Korea [50091-2021].

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Society for Radiological Protection. Published on behalf of SRP by IOP Publishing Limited. All rights reserved

Keywords

  • Dose reconstruction
  • Dosimetry
  • Ionising radiation
  • Occupational exposure

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Waste Management and Disposal
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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