An optimal model of the representative habit data for complex environmental exposure systems

Abstract

The concept of the representative person recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is difficult to apply to dose assessment to the public because the representative habit data could not be determined in advance for general radiation exposure situations. So, a stylized method for constructing habit data of the representative person is needed to ensure consistency and validity of the dose estimation. This paper presents a generalized model of the representative habit data based on optimization by a linear programming technique to handle complex environmental exposure situations such as radioactive waste disposal. The model is devised in such a way that it can fully embody the ICRP's criteria for the representative person by ensuring the upper 5% exposure in the population and it is applicable to general exposure systems. The model was illustrated for Korea's low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal system to show its applicability to complex exposure systems with multiple scenarios and pathways.