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Comparison of dose conversion factors for radon progeny from the ICRP 66 regional model and an airway tube model of tracheo-bronchial tree

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Abstract

Current epidemiological approaches to radon dosimetry yield a dose conversion factor (DCF) of 4 mSv WLM−1 while the dosimetric approaches give a value closer to 13 mSv WLM−1. The present study investigated whether the application of compartment models for the bronchial (BB) and bronchiolar (bb) regions, rather than more anatomically realistic airway tube models, has brought the dosimetric DCF to the higher values. The airway tube model of the tracheo-bronchial tree was used to calculate the effective dose per unit radon exposure. All other elements of the human respiratory tract from the reports of the ICRP or NRC were adopted. A dosimetric derivation of the radon DCF using the airway tube model yielded a value of 14.2 mSv WLM−1. This value is slightly larger than, but not significantly different from, the result obtained through the ICRP 66 approach. It is concluded that utilization of the airway tube model instead of the regional ICRP 66 compartmental model cannot reconcile the gap between dose conversion factors derived from epidemiological and dosimetric approaches.

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Acknowledgments

The present research is supported by the CERG grant CityU1004/99P from the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science, University of Kragujevac, R. Domanovic 12, 34000, Kragujevac, Serbia and Montenegro

    D. Nikezic

  2. Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China

    B. M. F. Lau & K. N. Yu

Authors
  1. D. Nikezic
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  2. B. M. F. Lau
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  3. K. N. Yu
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Correspondence to K. N. Yu.

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Nikezic, D., Lau, B.M.F. & Yu, K.N. Comparison of dose conversion factors for radon progeny from the ICRP 66 regional model and an airway tube model of tracheo-bronchial tree. Radiat Environ Biophys 45, 153–157 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-006-0048-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-006-0048-1

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