Thyroid Dose Estimates for a Cohort of Belarusian Persons Exposed in Utero and During Early Life to Chernobyl Fallout

Thyroid Dose Estimates for a Cohort of Belarusian Persons Exposed in Utero and During Early Life to Chernobyl Fallout: Thyroid radiation doses were estimated for a cohort of 2,965 Belarusian persons who were exposed in utero and during early life to fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. Prenatal and postnatal doses to the thyroid due to intake of 131I, external irradiation from radionuclides deposited on the ground, and ingestion of cesium isotopes (134Cs and 137Cs) were calculated for all cohort members. Dose estimation was based on personal interviews with subjects’ mothers; the interviews collected data on subjects’ residential history, consumption by mothers during time of pregnancy and breast-feeding, as well as consumption by subjects after birth. Direct instrumental measurements of radioactivity in mothers and the study subjects, if available, were also used for calculation of...