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Modeling Cutaneous Radiation Injury from Fallout

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 August 2018

Grace Adams ,
Neelima Yeddanapudi ,
Matthew Clay ,
Jason Asher ,
Jessica Appler  and
Rocco Casagrande
Grace Adams*
Affiliation:
Gryphon Scientific LLC, Takoma Park, Maryland, supporting the Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Division of Quantitative Analysis
Neelima Yeddanapudi
Affiliation:
Leidos Inc., Alexandria, Virginia, supporting the Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Division of Quantitative Analysis
Matthew Clay
Affiliation:
Leidos Inc., Alexandria, Virginia, supporting the Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Division of Quantitative Analysis
Jason Asher
Affiliation:
Leidos Inc., Alexandria, Virginia, supporting the Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Division of Quantitative Analysis
Jessica Appler
Affiliation:
Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Division of Quantitative Analysis, Washington, DC
Rocco Casagrande
Affiliation:
Gryphon Scientific LLC, Takoma Park, Maryland, supporting the Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Division of Quantitative Analysis
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Grace Adams, 6930 Carroll Avenue #810, Takoma Park, MD, 20912 (e-mail: gadams@gryphonscientific.com).
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Abstract

Objective

Beta radiation from nuclear weapons fallout could pose a risk of cutaneous radiation injury (CRI) to evacuating populations but has been investigated only cursorily. This work examines 2 components of CRI necessary for estimating the potential public health consequences of exposure to fallout: dose protraction and depth of dose.

Methods

Dose protraction for dry and moist desquamation was examined by adapting the biological effective dose (BED) calculation to a hazard function calculation similar to those recommended by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements for other acute radiation injuries. Depth of burn was examined using Monte Carlo neutral Particle version 5 to model the penetration of beta radiation from fallout to different skin tissues.

Results

Nonlinear least squares analysis of the BED calculation estimated the hazard function parameter θ1 (dose rate effectiveness factors) as 25.5 and 74.5 (Gy-eq)2 h−1 for dry and moist desquamation, respectively. Depth of dose models revealed that beta radiation is primarily absorbed in the dead skin layers and basal layer and that dose to underlying tissues is small (<5% of dose to basal layer).

Conclusions

The low relative dose to tissues below the basal layer suggests that radiation-induced necrosis or deep skin burns are unlikely from direct skin contamination with fallout. These results enable future modeling studies to better examine CRI risk and facilitate effectively managing and treating populations with specialized injuries from a nuclear detonation. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:463-469)

Keywords

acute radiation syndromenuclear weaponsradiation injuriesradioactive falloutrisk assessment
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , June 2019 , pp. 463 - 469
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 

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