Absorbed dose rates and biological consequences of discrete alpha-emitting particles embedded in tissue

This study calculates dose rate in Gy y-1 for individual dust, soil, and sediment particles that contain significant amounts of alpha-emitting uranium or thorium. When inhaled or ingested, these particles deliver radiation dose to organs where they embed. The presented method uses X-ray microscopy to measure alpha emitting elements in environmental microparticles, followed by calculation of dose rates delivered to the targeted volume of tissues that surround embedded microparticles. The example calculations use a real-world, 89% uranium house dust particle. •Calculates dose rates in tissue-embedded particles that contain uranium or thorium.•Alpha radiation from soil and dust particles has a short liner range in tissue, delivering dose to a small mass of tissue.•A fraction of alpha decay energy will be self-absorbed in particles greater than 30 μm diameter.•X-ray microscopy measures alpha emitter concentration, followed by target volume, self-absorbtion, & dose rate calculations.•The method is applicable to scanning X-ray microscopy data for discrete particles.