Publications Details

Identification of Top Dose Producing Radionuclides Produced by Research and Test Reactors

Pennington, Heather M.; Kraus, Terrence D.; Tenney, Craig M.; Faucett, Christopher; Brooks, Dusty

Nuclear fission produces more than 1,000 radioactive isotopes, each having different half-lives and producing unique characteristic emissions (e.g., alpha, beta, gamma), which makes it challenging to quickly and accurately assess radiological impacts resulting from sabotage (e.g., atmospheric transport, projected dose). Since many of the radionuclides produced by nuclear fission contribute an insignificant dose compared to other radionuclides, identifying the top dose-producing radionuclides will accelerate and simplify radiological assessments of research and test reactor releases. Here, we identify the fission radionuclides that contribute significant dose, enabling assessors to conduct consistent, simple, rapid and accurate radiological assessments.