Review of Two Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project (HEDR) DosimetryReports: Columbia River Pathway and Atmospheric Pathway

摘要

This project is reconstructing radiation doses received by populations in areassurrounding the Hanford nuclear facility near Richland, Washington. The drafts submitted to the Committee in June 1994, are Columbia River Pathway Dosimetry Report (DE94011240) and Atmospheric Pathway Dosimetry Report, 1944-1992 (DE94011241). It is important that the readers of the HEDR reports understand the difference between modeling and dose calculation for environmental-impact assessment and for retrospective dose assessment. In environmental-impact assessment, as has been done at Hanford in the past, a model is developed with a hypothetical target individual and a hypothetical population in mind, and a 'representative' source term is developed as input to the model to calculate projected exposures. In contrast, for a dose-reassessment study, exposure to actual individuals or population groups must be estimated by using documented releases and specific environmental transport conditions at the time of releases.