Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T00:41:14.044Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

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: [email protected]).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

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. 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Buddemeier, BR, Valentine, JE, Millage, KK, et al, National Capital Region: Key Response Factors for the Aftermath of Nuclear Terrorism. Livermore, CA: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; 2011.Google Scholar
2. Brandt, LD, Yoshimura, AS. Analysis of Sheltering and Evacuation Strategies for a National Capital Region Nuclear Detonation Scenario. Albuquerque, NM: Sandia National Laboratory; 2011.Google Scholar
3. Brandt, LD, Yoshimura, AS. Analysis of Sheltering and Evacuation Strategies for a Chicago Nuclear Detonation Scenario. Livermore, CA: Department of Energy; 2011.Google Scholar
4. Barss, NM, Weitz, RL. Reconstruction of external dose from beta radiation sources of nuclear weapon origin. Health Phys. 2006;91:379-389. doi:10.1097/01.HP.0000218431.06620.ef Google Scholar
5. Turesson, I, Thames, HD. Repair capacity and kinetics of human skin during fractionated radiotherapy: erythema, desquamation, and telangiectasia after 3 and 5 year’s follow-up. Radiother Oncol. 1989;15:169-188. doi:10.1016/0167-8140(89)90131-X Google Scholar
6. Archambeau, JO, Pezner, R, Wasserman, T. Pathophysiology of irradiated skin and breast. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1995;31:1171-1185. doi: 10.1016/0360-3016(94)00423-I Google Scholar
7. Blackmar, A. Radiation-induced skin alterations. Medsurg Nurs. 1997;6:172-175.Google Scholar
8. International Atomic Energy Agency. Development of an Extended Framework for Emergency Response Criteria. Vienna, Italy: International Atomic Energy Agency; 2005.Google Scholar
9. Evans, J, Moeller, D, Cooper, D. Health Effects Model for Nuclear Power Plant Accident Consequence Analysis (NUREG/CR-4214). Washington, DC: Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office; 1985.Google Scholar
10. Hopewell, J. Mechanisms of the action of radiation on skin and underlying tissues. Brit J Radiol. 1986;19:39-47.Google Scholar
11. Strom, DJ. Health Impacts from Acute Radiation Exposure. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; 2003.Google Scholar
12. Mamuro, T, Yoshikawa, K, Maki, N. Radionuclide fractionation in fallout particles. Health Phys. 1965;11:199-209. doi:10.1097/00004032-196503000-00006.Google Scholar
13. Freiling, E, Kay, M, Sanderson, J. Fractionation IV: Illustrative Calculations of the Effect of Radionuclide Fractionation on Exposure-Dose Rate from Local Fallout. San Francisco, CA: Department of Defense; 1964.Google Scholar
14. Glasstone, S, Dolan, P. The Effects of Nuclear Weapons. Washington, DC: US Department of Defense and Energy Research and Development Administration; 1977.Google Scholar
15. Canard, RA. Review of Medical Findings in a Marshallese Population Twenty-Six Years After Accidental Exposure to Radioactive Fallout. Upton, NY: Brookhaven National Laboratory; 1980.Google Scholar
16. Gottlober, P, Steinert, M, Weiss, M, et al. The outcome of local radiation injuries: 14 years of follow-up after the Chernobyl accident. Radiat Res. 2001;155:409-416. doi:10.1667/0033-7587(2001)155[5B0409:TOOLRI]5D2.0.CO;2.Google Scholar
17. Barendsen, GW. Dose fractionation, dose rate and iso-effect relationships for normal tissue responses. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1982;8:1981-1997. doi:10.1016/0360-3016(82)90459-X.Google Scholar
18. Brenner, DJ, Hlatky, LR, Hahnfeldt, PJ, et al. The linear-quadratic model and most other common radiobiological models result in similar predictions of time-dose relationships. Radiat Res. 1998;150:83-91.Google Scholar
19. Chougule, A, Supe, SJ. Early skin reactions in head and neck malignancy treated by twice-daily fractioned radiotherapy - estimation of alpha/beta of lq model. Phys Med Biol. 1993;38:1335-1342.Google Scholar
20. Turesson, I, Notter, G. The influence of the overall treatment time in radiotherapy on the acute reaction: comparison of the effects of daily and twice-a-week fractionation on human skin. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1984;10:607-618. doi:10.1016/0360-3016(84)90291-8.Google Scholar
21. Koenig, TR, Wolff, D, Mettler, FA, et al. Skin injuries from fluoroscopically guided procedures part 1, charactistics of radiation injury. Am J Roentgenol. 2001;177:3-11.Google Scholar
22. Fowler, JF. 21 years of biologically effective dose. Brit J Radiol. 2010;83:554-568. doi:10.1259/bjr/31372149.Google Scholar
23. Brenner, DJ. Point: The linear-quadradic model is an appropriate methodology for determining iso-effective doses at large doses per fraction. Sem Rad Oncol. 2008;18:234-239.Google Scholar
24. X-5 Monte Carlo Team. MCNP - A General Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code, Version 5. Vol 2; 2003. Los Alamos, NM: Los Alamos National Laboratory.Google Scholar
25. Tingart, MJ, Apreleva, M, von Stechow, D. The Cortical thickness of the proximal humeral diaphysis predicts bone mineral density of the proximal humerus. Bone Joint J. 2003;85-B:611-617. doi:10.1302/0301-620X.85B4.12843.Google Scholar
26. Toomey, C, McCreesh, K. Technical considerations for accurate measurements of subcutaneous adipose tissues thinkness using b-mode ultrasound. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2011;38:28-34.Google Scholar
27. Ogasawara, R, Thiebaud, RS, Loenneke, JP, et al. Time course for arm and chest muscle thickness changes following bench press training. Interv Med Appl Sci. 2012;4:217-220. doi:10.1556/IMAS.4.2012.4.7.Google Scholar
28. National Cancer Institute, US National Institutes of Health. Layers of the skin. SEER Training Modules. https://training.seer.cancer.gov/melanoma/anatomy/layers.html. Accessed January 12, 2017.Google Scholar
29. Kim, J, Lim, H, Lee, SI, et al. Thickness of rectus abdominis muscle and abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue in adult women: correlation with age, pregnancy, laparotomy, and body mass index. Arch Plast Surg. 2012;39:528-533. doi:10.5999/aps.2012.39.5.528.Google Scholar
30. Defense Threat Reduction Agency. ED04 - Skin Dose from Dermal Contamination. Fort Belvoir, VA: Defense Threat Reduction Agency; 2010.Google Scholar
31. Hamby, DM, Mangini, CD, Caffrey, JA, et al. VARSKIN 5: A Computer Code for Skin Contamination Dosimetry. Corvallis, OR: US Nuclear Regulatory Commission; 2014.Google Scholar
32. Monterial, MJ, Vincent, J. Updated Properties of Fractionated Fallout: Predictions of Activities, Exposure Rates, and Gamma Spectra for Selected Situations. Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge National Laboratory; 2012.Google Scholar
33. Radionuclide transformations: energy and intensity of emissions. Annals of the International Commission on Radiation Protection, Publication 38. 1983:11-13.Google Scholar