Distribution of doses received by Cuban population due to environmental sources of radioactivity

Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2007;123(1):118-21. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncl092. Epub 2006 Aug 23.

Abstract

Doses received by Cuban population due to exposure to the environmental sources of radiation were studied for their evaluation. Estimations of doses from the different components of the total dose were obtained and published. From the results obtained estimations of total doses to Cuban population from environmental radiation sources and the contributions of different dose components were made. A Monte Carlo simulation of the sum of doses was carried out and the distribution of obtained values was assumed as a lognormal distribution. Parameters for characterisation of this lognormal distribution were estimated, and on the basis of the estimations the average total effective dose to the Cuban population owing to exposure to the environmental sources was estimated as 1.1 +/- 0.3 mSv y(-1). This low dose value is in the range of doses estimated by UNSCEAR for world population due to natural background and can be explained by the specifics of the Cuban environment.

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants, Radioactive / analysis*
  • Body Burden
  • Cuba
  • Data Collection
  • Demography
  • Environmental Exposure / analysis*
  • Humans
  • Population Groups
  • Radiation Dosage
  • Radiation Monitoring*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Air Pollutants, Radioactive