1. NAME AND TITLE

ARRRG: Calculation of Radiation Dose to Man from Radionuclides in the Environment.

2. CONTRIBUTOR

Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, Washington.

3. CODING LANGUAGE AND COMPUTER

Fortran; UNIVAC 1100/44.

4. NATURE OF PROBLEM SOLVED

ARRRG permits rapid and consistent estimates of the radiation dose and dose commitment to man resulting from radioactive materials released to the environment. It is designed to calculate the dose and dose commitment following an accumulation of radionuclides in the environment from one year's ingestion of contaminated food products and from one year's external radiation exposure.

ARRRG addresses aquatic exposure pathways. ARRRG can compute doses for five ingestion pathways such as fish, other aquatic animals or plants, or drinking water, as well as three external pathways: swimming, boating, or shoreline exposure.

ARRRG calculates one-year doses and dose commitments from any one or combination of radionuclides for which sufficient biological data are available. As many as five of 23 possible organs and tissues, and mixtures of up to 100 radionuclides may be selected in any one case. The user may select up to 14 food categories with corresponding consumption rates, growing periods, and either irrigation rates or atmospheric deposition rates. These foods include various kinds of produce, grains, and animal products.

5. METHOD OF SOLUTION

The radiation doses from external exposure to contaminated water are calculated using the basic assumption that the contaminated medium is large enough to be considered an ``infinite'' volume relative to the range of the emitted radiations.

Doses may be calculated for either a maximum-exposed individual or for a population group. Doses calculated are a one-year dose and a committed dose from one year of exposure. The exposure is usually considered as chronic; however, equations are included to calculate dose and dose commitment from acute (one-time) exposure.

The equations for calculating internal dose and dose commitment are derived from those given by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for body burdens and Maximum Permissible Concentration (MPC) of each radionuclide.

The radiation doses from external exposure to contaminated farm fields or shorelines are calculated assuming an "infinite" flat plane source of radionuclides. A factor of two is included for surface roughness. A modifying factor to compensate for finite extent is included in the shoreline calculations.

The computer output consists of radiation dose and dose commitment summaries to all chosen organs listed by exposure pathway and by radionuclide. In addition, options exist for complete listing of dose contributions by radionuclide for each pathway. The complete output includes radionuclide concentrations in all ingested plant and animal material.

6. RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS

None noted.

7. TYPICAL RUNNING TIME

No study has been made by RSIC of typical running times for ARRRG.

8. COMPUTER HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

ARRRG is operable on the UNIVAC 1108/44 computer.

9. COMPUTER SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

A Fortran IV compiler is required.

10. REFERENCE

B. A. Napier, R. L. Roswell, W. E. Kennedy, Jr., and D. L. Strenge, "ARRRG and FOOD Computer Programs for Calculating Radiation Dose to Man from Radionuclides in the Environment," PNL-3180 (June 1980).

11. CONTENTS OF CODE PACKAGE

Included are the referenced document and one (1.2MB) DOS diskette which contains the source code and sample problem.

12. DATE OF ABSTRACT

February 1982; revised February 1983.