Reassessment of Nuclear Decay Database Used for Dose Calculation

Abstract

A comprehensive study has been completed for comparison of nuclear decay data for dosimetry calculations of ICRP Publication 38 (ICRP38) with those compiled from the recent Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF), the latest version in August, 1997. In most nuclides, the values of the half-life, branching fraction and total energy of the radiations calculated from the ENSDF were in agreement with those of ICRP38. However, significant differences in these values were found in several nuclides, notably in ⁶⁰Fe, ⁸⁰Sr, ^104mAg, ¹²³Te, ¹²⁶Ba and ²³¹Th. The causes for the differences were analyzed, and the influence of the revision of the decay data on the dose calculations was evaluated for the selected nuclides. The present results must be beneficial to a future revision of ICRP38.

Keywords:

• nuclear decay data
• radionuclide
• ICRP Publication 38
• ENSDF
• dose calculation
• radiation protection
• external exposure
• internal exposure