The use of dose coefficients in the software engineering platform for estimation and prediction of radiation situation following radiation emergency
The software engineering platform was developed for analysis of radiological situation, assessment of radiation risks, development of recommendations on the protection of the affected the public and territories, as well as to plan response to the emergency. To estimate the risks to the population affected by radiation due to radiation emergency radionuclide-specific dose coefficients are used. The paper reviews the practical use of dose coefficients developed on the basis of information on radionuclides content in the environment, for the assessment of radiation exposure of the public and the environment in the event of radiological emergency. Assessment of radiation doses following radiological emergency used in national and international radiation safety standards, requirements and criteria for radiation safety in the event of radiological emergency is in the center of attention. The paper provides description of ICRP methodology for calculating dose coefficients and available dose coefficients databases. The paper also provides procedures for calculating absorbed, equivalent and effective doses of internal and external intakes if radionuclides in accordance with the length of time the exposure lasted. RBE weighted absorbed doses, used in IAEA criteria for acute doses, were calculated with the use of absorbed doses values. The authors examine problems of the use of dose coefficients because of the lack of explicit forms of dose coefficients for some organs and tissues, the use of different systems of radionuclides identification, as well as the problems related to accounting of radionuclides daughters' contribution to the dose. Ways to solve the problem are discussed in the paper.