Estimation of dose to the urinary bladder and to the gonads

Radiation dose to the bladder from a radionuclide emitter present in the contents varies with many parameters such as radioactive half-life, biological half-lives of activity entering the bladder from other sites, rate of urine production, distention of the bladder, and individual habits. These are discussed and some practical rules are formulated for estimation of dose from photon emitters or beta emitters present in urine. A new point kernel for electrons due to Berger which takes straggling and bremsstrahlung into account has been tried and procedures are given for estimation of dose from a radioactive daughter. This is illustrated particularly for radionuclides of short radioactive half-life. Estimates of genetic dose due to internally deposited radionuclides are generally inaccurate as data on uptake of activity in the gonads are not documented in sufficient detail