RADIATION DOSE ASSIGNMENT TO INDIVIDUALS RESIDING NEAR THE THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION

A method to assign likely and maximum possible whole-body gamma doses to individuals who resided near the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station (TMI) during the 1979 accident has been developed. The location of residence in relation to TMI (distance and direction) and information on movements into and out of the area during the 10 days following the accident were used in conjunction with estimated time dependent dose rate distributions to assign likely and maximum possible doses to the 34,000 members of the 13,000 households residing in the 5 mile radius. Estimates of average likely and average maximum possible gamma doses are approximately 9 and 25 millirems, respectively. These results compare well with doses estimated by other investigators.