Dose Coefficients and Assessment of Intake After Inhalation of Contaminated Dusts from Palomares

The inhalation of dust particles bearing 239Pu and 241Am resulting from the aviation accident at Palomares in 1966 is still a potential health hazard for persons living or working in the vicinity. The dose coefficient for the dust and the behaviour of these actinides in members of the public have been predicted by combining absorption parameters from the lungs into blood derived from animal studies with human data from the most recent age-dependent biokinetic models published by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. For an aerosol of 1 µm activity median aerodynamic diameter it is concluded that the most appropriate dose coefficients for adults, 10 year old and 1 year old children are 2.3 x 10-5, 2.6 x 10-5 and 4.8 x 10-5 Sv.Bq-1 respectively. For assessing intakes of the dust, measurements of 239Pu in urine could be used with advantage provided fission track or mass spectrometric methods of analysis were used.