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NCRP report no. 81: Carbon-14 in the environment
322
Book Reviews
has been developed in the report and used to estimate risks applicable to the population of the United States for mean thyroid doses in the range of 6-1500 rad. NCRP Report No. 81: Carbon-14 ln the E&renment. u.s.sl3.Oo
93 pp.
This model is the latest in a series dealing with various radionuclides that may contribute to worldwide radiation exposure. It summarizes the available information on carbon-14 in terms of its physical properties, origins and distribution in the environment, its sampling and analysis, biological effects and radiation dosimetry, and waste disposal. One small but important omission from Table 2.2 is the 1961 half-life value of “C of 5780 It 65 years obtained by D. E. Watt, D. Ramsden and H. W. Wilson. The average of this and the two referenced values of 5760 f 50 years and 5680 f 40 years gave the value of 5730 + 30 years that was adopted by the Fifth Radiocarbon Dating Conference held in Cambridge in 1962, and subsequently reported by H. Godwin. NCRP Report No. 82: SI Units h Radiation Protectlen and Measurements. 48 pp. U.S.Sll.00. This report discusses the concept of “quantities and units” and provides a brief account of the history of development of the International System of Units (Systdme International d’Unit~ or SI). The structure of the system is described in terms of its “base units ” “supplementary units,” “derived units,” and “special u&s.” The meaning of “coherence,” an advantage of SI, is explained, and the three-order-ofmagnitude system of SI prefixes is given. The relationships between previously established systems of units and SI units for some quantities used in radiation dosimetry are discussed, and examples are given of calculations in both SI and previously used units. The report also cites the Council’s recommendation that SI units shall be adopted over a S-year transition period. NCRP Repart No. 83: The Experimental Bashi for AbaorbedDose t.hkuMom h Medical Uses of ltadionpelldes. 94 pp. U.S.$l4.00. The current status of the methods used to estimate the absorbed dose for humans from ingested radionuclides has
been reviewed. Comparisons have been made between the results of direct measurements and calculations based on mathematical models incorporating those parameters that are assumed to enter into dose calculations. A brief review of the history of the development of radiation dosimetry is given, and this is followed by a discussion of the physical parameters needed for the transport calculations used in dosimetry. The techniques used for measuring the activity distributions in humans are discussed, as well as the factors which should be considered in making in vivo absorbed-dose measurements. Comparisons of measured and calculated absorbed-dose values that have been made in phantoms, animals and humans are presented. An appendix describes a format that can be used to quantify the radioactivity of an irregular geometric body using an external measuring technique. NCRP Report No. 84: General Concepts for the Dosiitry of InterMuy Depot&d Radionucli~. 94 pp. U.S.$13.00 This report reviews the basic concepts relating to protection from internally located emitters of ionizing radiation. These concepts comprise dose equivalent, effective absorbed energy and specific effective energy, intake patterns, committed dose equivalent, dose-equivalent commitment, and population dose, the critical-organ concept and effective committed-dose equivalent, and so-called stochastic and non-stochastic effects. Evaluations and recommendations are presented for each of these basic concepts. The ways of expressing recommended limits for internal radiation emitters, such as “annual limit on intake,” “derived air concentration,” “maximum permissible concentration,” and “derived-organ or body burden,” have been considered and evaluated. The report also considers the various deposition, metabolism, and anatomic models that form the basis for an internal dose-calculation system. The models evaluated are reference man, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, bone, excretion, and dose from immersion in a radioactive cloud. There is also included a qualitative statement of present NCRP philosophy on the control of internal radiation exposure, and an identification of research needs into the dosimetry of internally deposited radionuclides. W. B. MANN NBS Maryland U.S.A.
Book Reviews
has been developed in the report and used to estimate risks applicable to the population of the United States for mean thyroid doses in the range of 6-1500 rad. NCRP Report No. 81: Carbon-14 ln the E&renment. u.s.sl3.Oo
93 pp.
This model is the latest in a series dealing with various radionuclides that may contribute to worldwide radiation exposure. It summarizes the available information on carbon-14 in terms of its physical properties, origins and distribution in the environment, its sampling and analysis, biological effects and radiation dosimetry, and waste disposal. One small but important omission from Table 2.2 is the 1961 half-life value of “C of 5780 It 65 years obtained by D. E. Watt, D. Ramsden and H. W. Wilson. The average of this and the two referenced values of 5760 f 50 years and 5680 f 40 years gave the value of 5730 + 30 years that was adopted by the Fifth Radiocarbon Dating Conference held in Cambridge in 1962, and subsequently reported by H. Godwin. NCRP Report No. 82: SI Units h Radiation Protectlen and Measurements. 48 pp. U.S.Sll.00. This report discusses the concept of “quantities and units” and provides a brief account of the history of development of the International System of Units (Systdme International d’Unit~ or SI). The structure of the system is described in terms of its “base units ” “supplementary units,” “derived units,” and “special u&s.” The meaning of “coherence,” an advantage of SI, is explained, and the three-order-ofmagnitude system of SI prefixes is given. The relationships between previously established systems of units and SI units for some quantities used in radiation dosimetry are discussed, and examples are given of calculations in both SI and previously used units. The report also cites the Council’s recommendation that SI units shall be adopted over a S-year transition period. NCRP Repart No. 83: The Experimental Bashi for AbaorbedDose t.hkuMom h Medical Uses of ltadionpelldes. 94 pp. U.S.$l4.00. The current status of the methods used to estimate the absorbed dose for humans from ingested radionuclides has
been reviewed. Comparisons have been made between the results of direct measurements and calculations based on mathematical models incorporating those parameters that are assumed to enter into dose calculations. A brief review of the history of the development of radiation dosimetry is given, and this is followed by a discussion of the physical parameters needed for the transport calculations used in dosimetry. The techniques used for measuring the activity distributions in humans are discussed, as well as the factors which should be considered in making in vivo absorbed-dose measurements. Comparisons of measured and calculated absorbed-dose values that have been made in phantoms, animals and humans are presented. An appendix describes a format that can be used to quantify the radioactivity of an irregular geometric body using an external measuring technique. NCRP Report No. 84: General Concepts for the Dosiitry of InterMuy Depot&d Radionucli~. 94 pp. U.S.$13.00 This report reviews the basic concepts relating to protection from internally located emitters of ionizing radiation. These concepts comprise dose equivalent, effective absorbed energy and specific effective energy, intake patterns, committed dose equivalent, dose-equivalent commitment, and population dose, the critical-organ concept and effective committed-dose equivalent, and so-called stochastic and non-stochastic effects. Evaluations and recommendations are presented for each of these basic concepts. The ways of expressing recommended limits for internal radiation emitters, such as “annual limit on intake,” “derived air concentration,” “maximum permissible concentration,” and “derived-organ or body burden,” have been considered and evaluated. The report also considers the various deposition, metabolism, and anatomic models that form the basis for an internal dose-calculation system. The models evaluated are reference man, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, bone, excretion, and dose from immersion in a radioactive cloud. There is also included a qualitative statement of present NCRP philosophy on the control of internal radiation exposure, and an identification of research needs into the dosimetry of internally deposited radionuclides. W. B. MANN NBS Maryland U.S.A.