Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The use of hair as an indicator of occupational 14C contamination

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Radiation and Environmental Biophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents a study in which the specific activity of 14C in hair has been investigated as an easily determined bio-indicator of the integrated 14C exposure (over several months). The study includes 28 Swedish workers handling 14C-labelled compounds, or working in a 14C-enriched environment. Hair samples from personnel at a Swedish nuclear power plant showed very low levels of 14C contamination, if any. In contrast, personnel at the investigated research departments showed 14C levels in hair of up to 60% above the natural specific activity of 14C. Much higher levels, up to 80 times the natural specific activity of 14C, were found in hair from individuals working at a pharmaceutical research laboratory. This contamination was, however, not solely an internal contamination. There were indications that most of the 14C in the hair originated from airborne 14C-compounds, which were adsorbed onto the hair. The difficulties in removing this external 14C contamination prior to analysis are discussed, as are the possibilities of using accelerator mass spectrometry to analyse various types of samples for retrospective dose assessment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Broecker WS, Schulert A, Olson EA (1959) Bomb Carbon-14 in human beings. Science 130:331–332

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Dawber R (1996) Hair: its structure and response to cosmetic preparations. Clin Dermatol 14:105–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Jong AFM, Becker B, Mook WG (1986) High-precision calibration of the radiocarbon time scale, 3930–3230 cal BP. Radiocarbon 28:939–941

    Google Scholar 

  • Freundlich JC, Rutloh M, Rafter TA (1972) Radiocarbon dating by carbon dioxide method: influence and removal of known impurities. In: Proceedings of the eighth international radiocarbon dating conference, vol 1. Royal Society of New Zealand, Wellington, pp B24–B35

  • Galeriu D, Melintescu A, Beresford NA, Takeda H, Crout NMJ (2009) The dynamic transfer of 3H and 14C in mammals: a proposed generic model. Radiat Environ Biophys 48:29–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geyh MA (2001) Bomb radiocarbon dating of animal tissues and hair. Radiocarbon 43:723–730

    Google Scholar 

  • Glatzel-Mattheier H (1994) AMS 14C-Messung an Ozeanproben: Untersuchungen zur Optimierung des Aufbereitungsverfahren im Routinebetrieb. Diploma thesis. Institut für Umweltphysik, Universität Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  • Goslar T, Czernik J (2000) Sample preparation in the Gliwice Radiocarbon Laboratory for the AMS 14C dating of sediments. Geochronometria 18:1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • International Atomic Energy Agency (2004) Management of waste containing 14C and tritium. IAEA Technical Report Series no. 421, Vienna

  • International Commission on Radiological Protection (1981) Limits for intakes of radionuclides by workers: part 3, ICRP Publication 30. Ann. ICRP 6(2/3):4–9

    Google Scholar 

  • International Commission on Radiological Protection (1989) Age-dependent doses to members of the public from intakes of radionuclides: part 1, ICRP Publication 56. Ann. ICRP 20(2):21–23

    Google Scholar 

  • International Commission on Radiological Protection (1994) Dose coefficients for intakes of radionuclides by workers. ICRP Publication 68. Ann. ICRP 24(4):1–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Levin I, Hammer S, Kromer B, Meinhardt F (2008) Radiocarbon observations in atmospheric CO2: determining fossil fuel CO2 over Europe using Jungfraujoch observations as background. Sci Total Environ 391:211–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magnusson Å (2007) 14C produced by nuclear power reactors: generation and characterization of gaseous, liquid and solid waste. Doctoral Dissertation, Lund University

  • Magnusson Å, Aronsson P-O, Lundgren K, Stenström K (2008) Characterization of 14C in Swedish light-water reactors. Health Phys, Oper Radiat Saf 95(2):S110–S121

    Google Scholar 

  • Nadeau MJ, Schleicher M, Grootes PM, Erlenkeuser H, Gottdang A, Mous DJW, et al (1997) The Leibniz-Labor AMS facility at the Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany. Nucl Instr Meth B12:22–30

  • Pfleiderer C (1987) Beschleunigermassenspektrometrische Kohlenstoff-14 Messungen an Meerwasserproben der Antarktis. Institut für Umweltphysik, Universität Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen KL, van der Plicht J, Cryer FH, Doudna G, Cross FM, Strugnell J (2001) The effects of possible contamination on the radiocarbon dating of the Dead Sea Scrolls I: castor oil. Radiocarbon 43:127–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Santos GM, Southon JR, Druffel-Rodriguez KC, Griffin S, Mazon M (2004) Magnesium perchlorate as an alternative water trap in AMS graphite sample preparation: a report on sample preparation at KCCSAMS at the University of California, Irvine. Radiocarbon 46:165–173

  • Santos GM, Southon JR, Griffin S, Beaupre SR, Druffel ERM (2007) Ultra small-mass AMS 14C sample preparation and analyses at KCCAMS/UCI facility. Nucl Instr Meth B259:293–302

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Skog G (2007) The single stage AMS machine at Lund University: status report. Nucl Instr Meth B259:1–6

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Stenström K, Leide-Svegborn S, Mattsson S (2008) Low-level occupational 14C contamination–results from a pilot study. Radiat Prot Dosim 130(3):337–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor DM (2004) Biokinetic models for the behaviour of carbon-14 from labelled compounds in the human body: can a single generic model be justified? Radiat Prot Dosim 108(3):187–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor RE, Hare PE, Prior CA, Kirner DL, Wan L, Burky RR (1995) Radiocarbon dating of biochemically characterized hair. Radiocarbon 37:319–330

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of atomic radiation (2000) Sources and effects of ionizing radiation. UNSCEAR 2000 report to the General Assembly, with scientific annexes, vol I, New York

  • Vogel JS, Southon JR, Nelson DE, Brown TA (1984) Performance of catalytically condensed carbon for use in accelerator mass spectrometry. Nucl Instr Meth B5:289–293

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu J, Yu DW, Checkla DM, Freedberg IM, Bertolino AP (1993) Human hair keratins. J Invest Dermatol 101:56S–59S

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

All the volunteers participating in this study are gratefully acknowledged. This work was financed by research grants from the former Swedish Radiation Protection Authority, now the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Nuclear Physics, Department of Physics, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 221 00, Lund, Sweden

    Kristina Stenström & Ingmar Unkel

  2. Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Malmö University Hospital, 205 05, Malmö, Sweden

    Carl Magnus Nilsson, Christopher Rääf & Sören Mattsson

Authors
  1. Kristina Stenström
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ingmar Unkel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Carl Magnus Nilsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Christopher Rääf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Sören Mattsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristina Stenström.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stenström, K., Unkel, I., Nilsson, C.M. et al. The use of hair as an indicator of occupational 14C contamination. Radiat Environ Biophys 49, 97–107 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-009-0245-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-009-0245-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation