Dose assessment of bremsstrahlung induced by beta-emitting radioisotopes of uranium-238 series and lead in human tissues

Abstract

In the natural uranium-238 decay series, pure beta isotopes such as 234Th, 234Pa, 214Pb, 214Bi, 210Pb and 210Bi are released. The few lead isotopes such as 211Pb, 212Pb, 213Pb and 215Pb are good beta emitters. In certain nuclear reactions of reactor these isotopes are released. These beta isotopes have maximum beta energies, which induce the bremsstrahlung radiation. The bremsstrahlung component of these beta isotopes has been traditionally ignored in dosimetry calculations. The shapes of bremsstrahlung spectra are a basic ingredient in the understanding and quantification of beta-ray dosimetry. The bremsstrahlung spectra produced by these high-energy isotopes such as 234Th, 234Pa, 214Pb, 214Bi, 210Pb, 210Bi, 211Pb, 212Pb, 213Pb and 215Pb in bone, muscle and teeth are studied, and the computed spectral distributions are presented. The spectral shapes are primarily responsible for variations in the shapes of depth–dose distributions. They are intended to provide a quick and convenient reference for spectral shapes and to give an indication of the wide variation in these shapes. The evaluated beta bremsstrahlung dose as a function distance for the studied nuclides is also presented. The efficiency, intensity and dose rate of bremsstrahlung induced by beta isotopes of natural uranium-238 decay series and beta-emitting lead isotopes in human tissues such as brain, breast, heart, kidney, liver, muscle, pancreas and bone have also been studied in the present investigation. The values of bremsstrahlung dosimetric parameters are low for pancreas, but they are high for bone. For all studied tissues these parameters are high for 234Pa, but low for 210Pb.