When dose data were not available or incomplete, or when there was reason
to believe that the data did not adequately characterize the actual exposure,
alternative approaches were used as circumstances warrantad.

All approaches

had in common the investigation of individual or group activities and their
relationship to the radiological environment.

First, if it was apparent that

personnel were not present in the radiological environment and had no other
potential for exposure, then the assigned dose was zero.

Second, if some

members of a group had film badge readings and others did not-~and if all

members had a common relationship with the radiological environment --then
doses for unbadged personnel could be statistically calculated.

Third, where

sufficient badge readings or a common relationship to the radiological environment did not exist, dose reconstruction was performed.

This involved

correlating a unit’s or individual’s activities with the quantitatively
determined radiological environment.
The three approaches are summarized as follows:
1.

Activities of an individual or his unit were researched for the
period of participation in an atmospheric nuclear test. Unit
locations and movements were related to areas of radiation. If
personnel were far distant from the nuclear detonation(s), did not

experience fallout or enter a fallout area, and did not come in

contact with radioactive samples or contaminated objects, they were
judged to have received no dose.

2.

Film badge data from badged personnel may have been used to estimate
individual doses for unbadged personnel, provided that the group of
badged participants had common characteristics and potential similar
to the unbadged personnel for radiation exposure. Then, using proven
statistical methods, an estimated dose equal to 95-percent probability that the actual exposure did not exceed such estimate was
assigned to unbadged personnel. This practice ensured that unbadged
personnel were assigned doses that were considerably higher than the
average or mean dose of the group.

3.

Dose reconstruction was performed if film badge data were unavailable
for all or part of the period of radiation exposure, if film badge

data were partially available but could not be used statistically for

calculations, if atypical activities were indicated for specific
individuals, or if other types of radiation exposures were indicated.
In dose reconstruction, the conditions of exposure were reconstructed
analytically to determine the radiation dose. Such reconstruction
was not a new concept; it is standard scientific practice used by
health physicists when the circumstances of a radiation exposure
require investigation. The underlying method was in each case the

166
‘£3

Select target paragraph3