Environmental Surveillance and Oversight Program (ESOP)
Radiological Dose Calculation
SCDHEC ESOP analyzes all data that would constitute a possible public exposure. The dose in millirems that a maximally exposed individual would receive is calculated based on actual detected radionuclides in the environment around the SRS. The comparison of ESOP dose results to the calculated dose projected by SRS environmental monitoring models serves to evaluate the SRS estimates. The final dose calculations of ESOP also allows the individual to know what his or her exposure might have been based on their exposure to the various media containing radionuclides.
Critical Pathway Assessment
SCDHEC ESOP reviews the different inhalation, ingestion, and external exposure pathways that may result in a dose to the public. Information from past studies by the Radiological Assessment Corporation and the Center for Disease Control are reviewed and compared to the present day data collected by ESOP and DOE. This enables a projected dose to the public based on different scenarios and identifies the possible pathways and radionuclides that are contributing to a dose to the public and the environment.