title: Chest wall thickness measurements and the dosimetric implications for male workers in the south Korean uranium industry.
abstract: Using ultrasound techniques, the Human Monitoring Laboratory has measured chest wall thicknesses of a group of male workers at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. A site-specific biometric equation has been developed for these workers, who are somewhat smaller than other workers reported in the literature. Chest wall thickness is an important modifier on lung counting efficiency. These data have been put into the perspective of the ICRP recommended dose limits for occupationally exposed workers: 100 mSv in a 5-year period with a maximum of 50 mSv in any one year. For measured chest wall thicknesses of 1.9 cm to 4.1 cm and a 30 min counting time, the achievable MDAs for natural uranium in the KAERI lung counter vary from 6.6 mg to 13.2 mg. These values are close to, or even exceed, the predicted amounts of natural uranium that will remain in the lung (absorption type M and S) after an intake equal to the Annual Limit on Intake corresponding to a committed dose of 20 mSv. This paper shows that the KAERI lung counter probably cannot detect an intake of Type S natural uranium in a worker with a chest wall thickness equal to the average value (2.7 cm) under routine counting conditions.
authors.affiliation: Human Monitoring Laboratory, Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1C1, Canada. Gary_H_Kramer@hc-sc.gc.ca
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: T Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008168:Lung / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009688:Nuclear Reactors; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011835:Radiation Protection; D011851:Radioactivity; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013909:Thorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014501:Uranium / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014501:Uranium