Radiation Doses to Skin from Dermal Contamination

This report presents a methodology for estimating radiation doses to skin from dermal contamination due to a uniform deposition of airborne radioactive material in specific regions of the body. This methodology includes a model to estimate increases in doses due to long-term retention of radioactive material on skin when removal by showering is incomplete. The primary focus of this report is estimation of doses from exposure to electrons (beta particles) emitted by radionuclides on the body surface. Estimation of doses from radionuclides that emit alpha particles also is considered. Models to estimate doses to skin from dermal contamination in various scenarios are described, including exposure to descending fallout from a nuclear weapon detonation and exposure to material resuspended from the ground surface by different human activities or the wind.