[en] Short communication

[en] Short communication

[en] The aim of this work was to check whether the stable cesium content in forest litter affects the value of radiocesium from litter-to-mushroom transfer factor Tf or not. Total cesium in litter, measured by AAS, varied from 0.1-2.7 micrograms/g. These data, combined with earlier results for mushrooms, showed no simple correlation for Tf. More complex relationships provided very high correlation coefficients, but their validity needs further investigation. (author)

[en] Ferrous sulphate (Fricke) dosimetry was performed in the fast neutron beam produced at the U-120 cyclotron of the Institute of Nuclear Physics and in a ⁶⁰Co gamma-ray therapeutical beam at the Centre of Oncology in Krakow. The G-value was measured for the neutron component in the mixed (neutron + gamma) field of the fast neutron beam, where the mean neutron energy is 5.6 MeV. This value is G_n = 8.1 ± 0.8. Track structure theory calculations were made using energy spectra of charged secondary particles generated in water by the MRC Hammersmith fast neutron beam (mean neutron energy 7.6 MeV, measured value of G_n = 9.4 ± 0.6), yielding the calculated value of G_n = 8.61. Fricke dosimetry of the ⁶⁰Co beam indicates that the absolute value of gamma-ray dose at the Centre of Oncology may be underestimated by about 3% . 19 refs., 1 tab. (author)

[en] Short communication

No abstract available

[en] Short communication

[en] For ten various brands of flour contents of chosen (heavy) elements were determined by means of ICP, GF-AAS, PIXE and ASV/CSV methods. General performance of participating laboratories as well as pros and cons of different analytical methods were compared and discussed. (author). 6 refs, 6 figs, 7 tabs

[en] Short communication

[en] The main goal of the present study was estimation of an internal contamination of ${}^{131}$I among family members of patients treated with radioactive iodine. Thyroid activity measurements of ${}^{131}$I in examined volunteers were performed using a whole-body spectrometer at the institute of nuclear physics, Polish academy of sciences. During this research, 20 relatives of patients treated with ${}^{131}$I were examined: eight women and 12 men with an age in the range from 3 to 72 years. In the case of nine individuals, the activity of ${}^{131}$I in the thyroid was below the detection limit, but among the remaining 11 individuals, the activity varied from (9 ± 3) Bq up to (1140 ± 295) Bq. Subsequently, based on the measurements of thyroid ${}^{131}$I activities, the corresponding doses were assessed. The highest estimated effective dose reached 218 μSv, while the thyroid equivalent dose was 2.4 mSv. In addition, the experimental data obtained were statistically analysed together with the results of surveys of the individuals participating in the study by means of correspondence analysis and nonparametric tests: Mann–Whitney, gamma, χ${}^2$ and Yule Phi coefficient. These analyses revealed relationships between ${}^{131}$I activities in the thyroids of the examined individuals and their housing conditions as well as consumption of meals prepared by the patients.