Review of reduction factors by buildings for gamma radiation from radiocaesium deposited on the ground due to fallout

吉田 浩子*; 松田 規宏; 斎藤 公明

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 187, p.32 - 39, 2018/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.02.006

In order to estimate residents' external dose due to radionuclide exposure resulting from fallout deposit on the ground, the shielding and dose reduction effects provided by structures such as houses and workplaces are taken into account as most individuals spend a large portion of their time indoors. Soon after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, several measurements and calculations were performed to obtain specific reduction factors for Japanese settlements due to this lack of data. This research reviews previous studies that determined factors such as, shielding factors, protection factors, reduction factors, and location factors and summarizes specific results for Japan. We discuss the issues in determining these factors and in applying them to estimate indoor dose. The contribution of surface contamination to the indoor ambient dose equivalent rate is also discussed.