Reconstruction of thyroid dose after the Chernobyl accident

The main stages of the work conducted and the results of thyroid dose reconstruction for the Belarusian residents are presented in the paper. The problems relating to the systematic errors which occurred during in vivo monitoring of I-131-thyroid content are considered. The importance of using the most adequate model of thyroid dose formation has been justified in order to account for systematic errors. The main statements of the modified semiempirical model of thyroid dose formation have been described. The problem regarding possible production of fresh fission products (including short-lived radioiodines) at the time of the explosion of the Chernobyl reactor is presented. The main materials related to presentation of the results of our investigations on thyroid dose reconstruction in Belarus were in the literature, for example, Refs. [1-4]. This is the reason for which they are described here in a shortened view. The main attention is paid to the questions, which are actual for the time being, and those questions are likely to be actual in the future. Because of their importance those questions are being discussed in the framework of BelAm and UkrAm thyroid cohort projects as well as of the other projects. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V All rights reserved.