Dose coefficient
A quantity that, when multiplied by a measurement of radionuclide intake, air [kerma], particle [fluence], or environmental radioactivity concentration, will yield an organ equivalent dose or the effective dose to the exposed individual. Sometimes referred to as dose conversion coefficient or factor.
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Previous glossary entries
from ICRP Publication 139, 2018
Used to express dose per unit intake of a radioactive substance but sometimes also used to describe other coefficients linking quantities or concentrations of activity to doses or dose rates such as the external dose rate at a specified distance above a surface with a deposit of a specified activity per unit area of a specified radionuclide.
from ICRP Publication 136, 2017
(for non-human biota) A coefficient relating an absorbed dose rate in the whole body or in a part of it and radionuclide activity concentration in the body for internal exposure or in the environment in the case of external exposures. In this publication for exposure to internally distributed sources DCs are formulated in units of dose rate (μGy h-1) per unit activity concentration in the body (Bq kg-1) while for external exposures these dose rates are given as per unit mass (Bq kg-1) surface (Bq m-2) or volume (Bq L-1) or Bq m-3) activity concentrations. As recommended by ICRP and applied previously to dosimetric data for humans the term ‘dose coefficients’ replaces the previously used terms ‘dose conversion coefficients’ and ‘dose conversion factors’ thus resulting in harmonised dosimetric terminology across the ICRP publications.
from ICRP Publication 130, 2015 and ICRP Publication 133, 2016
For adults a dose coefficient is defined as either the committed equivalent dose in tissue T per activity intake hT(50) or the committed effective dose per activity intake e(50) where 50 is the dose-commitment period in years over which the dose is calculated. Note that elsewhere the term ‘dose per intake coefficient’ is sometimes used for dose coefficient.
from ICRP Publication 119, 2012
Committed tissue equivalent dose per unit acute intake hT(τ) or committed effective dose per unit acute intake e(τ), where s is the time period in years over which the dose is calculated [e.g. e(50)].
from ICRP Publication 110, 2008
Used as a generic term for coefficients relating a dose quantity to another physical quantity, both for internal and external radiation exposure. In internal dosimetry, a typical dose coefficient is the dose per unit intake of a radioactive substance; in external dosimetry, these are dose conversion coefficients.
from ICRP Publication 113, 2007 and ICRP Publication 120, 2012
Used as a synonym for dose per unit intake of a radioactive substance, but sometimes also used to describe other coefficients linking quantities or concentrations of activity to doses or dose rates, such as the external dose rate at a specified distance above a surface with a deposit of a specified activity per unit area of a specified radionuclide.