LUNG DOSE ESTIMATES FROM AIR SAMPLING AND BIOASSAY DATA - A COMPARISON

Occupational monitoring data are typically in the form of air samples or biological samples. Air samples are more frequently available and o ften have been used to characterize personnel exposure in epidemiologi cal studies. Air samples that are not specific to individual employees are easier and cheaper to procure than biological samples such as uri nalyses. However, the correlation between concurrent air samples and u rinalyses has not always been found to be strong. The purpose of this paper is to compare internal radiation doses for uranium workers estim ated from air sample results with those estimated from urine sample re sults. The comparison was made on results associated with individuals who worked in a uranium processing and fabrication facility between 19 50 and 1956. Independent lung dose estimates were made for individuals for whom both types of data were available for periods of 300-365 d. Plots of the data and statistical analyses failed to show evidence of correlation of any practical significance between the data generated b y the two methods. A number of unquantifiable variables were enumerate d for both types of estimates. It is concluded that within this study (1) only minimal correlation was demonstrable between lung doses based on air monitoring and doses based on urinalysis data because of the n umber of such variables affecting the measurements; and (2) general ai r data would not be the most useful measure of exposure upon which to base lung dose estimates.