Use of Iodine-131 to Tellurium-132 Ratios for Assessing the Relationships between Human Inhaled Radioactivity and Environmental Monitoring after the Accident in Fukushima

Koji Uchiyama, Masami Miyashita, Yoshinobu Tanishima, Shigenobu Maeda, Hitoshi Sato, Jun Yoshikawa, Shuji Watanabe, Masamichi Shibata, Shuji Ohhira and Gen Kobashi
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Koji Uchiyama: Laboratory of International Environmental Health, Center for International Cooperation, Dokkyo Medical University, 880 Kitakobayashi, Mibu-machi, Shimotsuga-gun 321-0293, Tochigi, Japan
Masami Miyashita: Department of Radiology, Fukui Prefectural Hospital, 2-8-1 Yotsui, Fukui-shi 910-8526, Fukui, Japan
Yoshinobu Tanishima: Department of Radiology, Fukui Prefectural Hospital, 2-8-1 Yotsui, Fukui-shi 910-8526, Fukui, Japan
Shigenobu Maeda: Emergency Medicine, Fukui Prefectural Hospital, 2-8-1 Yotsui, Fukui-shi 910-8526, Fukui, Japan
Hitoshi Sato: Department of Radiological Sciences, Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences, 4669-2 Ami, Ami-machi, Inashiki-gun 300-0394, Ibaraki, Japan
Jun Yoshikawa: Department of Radiology, Fukui Prefectural Hospital, 2-8-1 Yotsui, Fukui-shi 910-8526, Fukui, Japan
Shuji Watanabe: Department of Radiology, Fukui Prefectural Hospital, 2-8-1 Yotsui, Fukui-shi 910-8526, Fukui, Japan
Masamichi Shibata: Department of Radiology, Fukui Prefectural Hospital, 2-8-1 Yotsui, Fukui-shi 910-8526, Fukui, Japan
Shuji Ohhira: Laboratory of International Environmental Health, Center for International Cooperation, Dokkyo Medical University, 880 Kitakobayashi, Mibu-machi, Shimotsuga-gun 321-0293, Tochigi, Japan
Gen Kobashi: Department of Public Health, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, 880 Kitakobayashi, Mibu-machi, Shimotsuga-gun 321-0293, Tochigi, Japan

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Significant differences in findings were seen between the intake amounts of iodine-131 that were derived from direct measurements and the estimated intake from environmental monitoring data at the Fukushima accident. To clarify these discrepancies, we have investigated the iodine-131 and tellurium-132 body burdens of five human subjects, who after being exposed to a radioactive plume, underwent 21.5 h whole body counter measurements at Fukui Prefectural Hospital, so clear intake scenario and thyroid counter measurement data were available. To determine the iodine-131 and tellurium-132 body burdens, we introduced a new method of whole body counter calibration composed of a self-consistent approach with the time-dependent correction efficiency factors concept. The ratios of iodine-131 to tellurium-132, ranging from 0.96 ± 0.05 to 2.29 ± 0.38, were consistent with results of the environmental measurements. The 24 h iodine uptake values ranging from 12.1–16.0% were within euthyroid range in Japanese people. These results suggest, even if the relatively low thyroid iodine uptake in the Japanese population was taken into consideration, that there is no doubt about the consistency between direct measurements and environmental monitoring data. Adequate intake scenario is suggested to be principally important to estimate the inhaled radioactivity in areas in or around nuclear accidents.

Keywords: environmental monitoring; whole body counter measurement; iodine-131; tellurium-132; inhaled radioactivity; intake scenario; Fukushima accident; 24 h-thyroid uptake; physiological biokinetic model; thyroid autoregulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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