A review of the population radiation exposure at TMI-2

The exposure of the public to radiation during and following the accident at Three Mile Island, Unit 2 was small. On the average it was only a few percent of natural background radiation and no one was exposed to amounts comparable to background radiation. Much of the detection equipment saw radiation levels too low to permit accurate measurements. This project identified and compared the work of various investigations in terms of methodology and the determination of radiation exposure to the population. The work included such refinements as (1) the utilization of better estimates of population density and distribution, (2) quantification of the effects of detector calibration, (3) an evaluation of the effects of buildings in shielding individuals from airborne radioactivity, (4) the reduction in population exposure due to the partial evacuation of the public, and (5) a determination of the effect on population exposure of not considering radiation exposures to individuals that are below about 0.5% of the combined yearly natural background and medical levels. (author)