Hot particle
A hot particle is a microscopic piece of radioactive material that can become lodged in living tissue and deliver a concentrated dose of radiation to a small area. A controversial theory proposes that hot particles within the body are vastly more dangerous than external emitters delivering the same dose of radiation in a diffused manner. Other researchers claim that there is little or no difference in risk between internal and external emitters.
The theory has gained most prominence in debates over the health effects of nuclear accidents, dirty bombs or fallout from atomic weapons, all of which can spread hot particles through the environment. The current ICRP risk model for radiation exposure is derived from studies of victims of external radiation, and detractors claim it does not adequately estimate the risk of hot particles.
Hot particles contained in far-traveled nuclear fallout range in size from 10 nanometers to 20 micrometers, whereas those present in local fallout may be much larger (100 micrometers to several millimeters). Hot particles can be identified by a Geiger counter, or by autoradiography, i.e., fogging X-Ray film. Their age and origin can be determined by their isotopic signature.
Due to their small size, hot particles may be swallowed, inhaled or enter the body by other means. Once lodged in the body, cells very near the hot particle may absorb much of its radiation, and be bombarded in a very sustained and concentrated fashion. By contrast, an external radioactive source delivering the same total amount of radiation over the whole body would give a relatively minute dose to any one cell.
The Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal Emitters (CERRIE), established by the UK Government, carried out a 3-year-long independent expert review into the health risks of internal emitters (i.e., hot particles) and published its findings in 2003. The study failed to reach consensus, but the conclusion of the majority of its members was that the current ICRP risk model, despite being largely derived from studies of survivors of external radiation, adequately estimates the risk of hot particles, and that any differences between internal and external radiation are adequately accommodated by the established parameters in physiological models (relative biological effectiveness, kinetic factors); i.e., that internal radiation does not seem to be significantly more dangerous than an equal amount of externally delivered radiation. However, they noted significant levels of uncertainty regarding dose estimates for internal emitters, especially regarding less common radionuclides such as 239Pu and 241Am, and even more common ones such as 90Sr. Two of the twelve members disagreed with the overall findings, notably Christopher Busby who advocates controversial physico-biological mechanisms such as Second Event Theory and Photoelectric Effect Theory, by which he believes the danger of ingested particles could be greatly enhanced.
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