Retrospective Investigation and Dose Assessment for Wound Intake of ²⁴¹Am in Human

In 2002, the right index finger of a staff was punctured by a screwdriver during operating the 241Am solid radiation source. The particle 241Am was ingested in the wound. The retrospective investigation and dose assessment were carried out in 2016. The quantitative measurement of 241Am in the human skull is about 166 Bq. The skull is about 18.86% of the whole body skeleton in dry weight. The 241Am in the whole body skeleton is about 880 Bq. Combined with the human bone retention function of 241Am by wound intake, the intake of 241Am in the wound is estimated to be 2 630 Bq, and the committed effective dose to be accumulated is about 0.85 Sv. The quantitative measurement of 241Am retention in wound is about 527 Bq. Combined with wound contamination retention function, the intake of 241Am in the wound is estimated to be 5560 Bq, and the effective dose caused by 241Am intake in the wound is about 1.81 Sv. Based on the results of the two methods, the committed effective dose of 241Am should be less than 2 Sv. By evaluating the existing 241Am in wound, it is estimated that tissue excision can avert approximate 170 mSv of committed effective dose.