Radiotoxicity

Radiotoxicity is an indicator that estimates the potential hazard resulting from the ingestion or the inhalation of radioactive materials. It takes into account the fate of the substance in the human body and its harmfulness. The radiotoxicity is calculated by multiplying a dose factor by the ingested activity. The dose factor varies in large proportions; from 1 in the case of beta low energy emitters such as tritium to 10 000 in the case of alpha emitters such as plutonium and uranium isotopes. When the material is not really ingested, like in the case of a radioactive waste, radiotoxicity overestimates the effective nuisance since it assumes the ingestion or inhalation of 100% which is rarely the case.