Risk-oriented approach to monitoring for internal exposure to incorporated plutonium

The paper presents evidence that the use of adopted methodology for calculating internal plutonium radiation dose of inhaled plutonium and regulating exposure to the incorporated radionuclide RSS-99/2009 does not allow obtaining real estimates of radiation doses to the staff and ensuring radiation safety in plants for plutonium reprocessing. The uncertainties may result in conservative dose estimates or violation of the principle that radiation-related health risk should not exceed socially acceptable risk. The use of annual excess risk as a controllable parameter for personal radiation exposure monitoring is reasonable. Plutonium radioactivity in the urea is used for calculation of equivalent dose to organs deposited the radionuclide, the doses are used for assessment of annual excess risk related to the age at exposure. Doses estimating and risk assessment are calculated for different routes of plutonium intake. To estimate total personal radiation dose from several sources that is included in the personal radiation exposure record, annual excess risk from exposure to incorporated plutonium is used for calculation of annual total effective dose of exposure to plutonium. It is assumed that annual effective internal and external doses are equivalent.