Body Potassium Content and Radiation Dose from 40K for the Urals Population (Russia)

Long-term whole-body monitoring of radionuclides in residents of the Urals Region has been performed at the Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine (URCRM, Chelyabinsk). Quantification of K-40 was achieved by measuring the K-40 photopeak with four phoswich detectors in whole body counter SICH-9.1M. The current study presents the results of K-40 measurements in 3,651 women and 1,961 t-test; U-test men aged 11-90; measurements were performed in 2006-2014. The residents belonged to two ethnic groups, Turkic (Tatar, Bashkir) and Slavs (mainly Russian). The levels of K-40-body contents depend upon gender, age, and body mass. Significant ethnic-differences were not found in K-40-body contents and K-40 concentrations in terms of Bq per kg of body weight (in groups homogenous by age and gender). Both K-40-body contents and concentrations were significantly higher in men than in women in all age-groups; the difference was about 25%. The measured K-40-body content in men of 20-50 years was about 4200 Bq (134 g of K) and about 3000 Bq (95 g of K) in women. By the age of 80 these values decreased to 3200 Bq (102 g of K) in men and 2500 Bq (80 g of K) in women. Annual dose rates were maximal in the age group of 20-30 years-0.16 mGy/y for men and 0.13 mGy/y for women. Further, the dose-rates decreased with age and in the groups of 60-80 years were 0.13 mGy/y for men and 0.10 mGy/y for women. Within groups homogeneous by age and gender, individual dose rates are described by a normal statistical distribution. The coefficient of variation ranges from 9 to 14%, and on the average is 12.5%. Doses from naturally occurring K-40 accumulated over 70 years were found to be 9.9 mGy for men and 8.3 mGy for women; over 90 years - 12.5 and 10.4 mGy.