Modifying factors for metabolic parameters

Studies on factors which influence the metabolic parameter for calculation of radiation doses from intakes of radionuclides are very important for estimation of the doses for the general public, because the present procedures recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection is for occupationally exposed workers and the underlying metabolic and dosimetric models have been developed from studies on adult man and experiments on adult animals and from observations on radionuclides in physico-chemically simple form. Many factors have been reported to influence the metabolic parameters. Among them, the food-chain involvement of radionuclides and the age-dependence in humans and animals are most significant as environmental and physiological factor, respectively. In connection with the age-dependence of dose calculation, the ICRP started a new programme. They organized a Task Group on Age-Dependent Dose-Factors where relevant information on metabolic and biokinetic parameters are presently being reviewed for development of a set of dose factors for the following age-groups: infant, 1-year-old, 5-year-old, 10-year-old, 15-year-old, and ICRP Reference Man. The first stage of the work is for age-dependent integrated organ and effective dose factors for radioisotopes of the following elements: hydrogen, carbon, iodine, cesium, strontium, plutonium and americium. (author)