A hot particle is a microscopic piece of radioactive material that can become lodged in living tissue and deliver a concentrated dose of radiation to a small area. A generally accepted theory proposes that hot particles within the body are vastly more dangerous than external emitters delivering the same dose of radiation in a diffused manner.[1][2][3][4] Other researchers claim that there is little or no difference in risk between internal and external emitters, maintaining that individuals will likely continue to accumulate radiation dose from internal sources even after being removed from the original hazard and properly decontaminated, regardless of the relative danger from an internally sourced radiation dose compared to an equivalent externally sourced radiation dose.
The theory has gained most prominence in debates over the health effects of nuclear accidents, dirty bombs or fallout from nuclear weapons, all of which can spread hot particles through the environment. The current ICRP risk model for radiation exposure is derived from studies of victims of external radiation, and detractors claim it does not adequately estimate the risk of hot particles.
- ^ "What Are the Different Types of Radiation?".
- ^ "Radiation in Everyday Life". 21 November 2014.
- ^ Peräjärvi, Kari; Ihantola, Sakari; Toivonen, Harri; Sand, Johan; Toivonen, Juha (2015). "In-field detection and analysis of α radiation" (PDF). International Atomic Energy Agency.
- ^ Scott, Bobby R. (20 April 2007). "Health risk evaluations for ingestion exposure of humans to polonium-210". Dose-Response. 5 (2): 94–122. doi:10.2203/dose-response.06-013.Scott. PMC 2477690. PMID 18648599.