Estimation of dose due to accidental exposure to a60co therapy source

PubMed ID: 7372482A 2260 Ci60Co therapy source embedded in a 42-kg tungsten block was accidentally dislodged from a therapy unit. An individual entered the therapy room and replaced the source in its container. This paper describes the application of computer simulation techniques to this exposure incident. Dose rates are calculated through use of a locational grid superimposed upon the accident scene. The actions of the exposed individual during the accident exposure are simulated within this grid as a means of estimating the absorbed dose. The estimated doses are used to estimate short- and long-term risk. Based on the calculation of absorbed dose, it was estimated that the possible risk of acute and chronic leukemia was about 2 times the normal risk for the individual who made the recovery. © 1980 Health Physics Society