Internal Dose Assessments with Taurus Software
Learn how to use Taurus software to perform internal dose assessments following radionuclide intakes.
Duration
5 weeksWeekly study
3 hoursLanguages
English, Español, Italiano, Français, PortuguêsEnglish, Español, Italiano
Internal Dose Assessments with Taurus Software
Apply Taurus confidently for internal dose assessments
Accurate internal dose assessments help determine how much radiation a person has absorbed after radioactive substances enter the body, supporting safe working practices and protecting those who work with ionising radiation.
Designed by experts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), this course introduces the Taurus software used to estimate internal radiation doses following radionuclide intakes.
You’ll develop practical skills using the software while strengthening your understanding of the scientific principles that underpin internal dosimetry and bioassay interpretation.
Whether you’re new to Taurus or looking to use its features more effectively, this course provides a structured introduction to the dose assessments used across the nuclear industry and regulatory settings.
Learn the principles of internal dosimetry
You’ll become familiar with the Taurus interface, understand the purpose of internal dose calculations, and learn how the software supports radiation protection practice.
Carry out dose calculations with Taurus
Develop practical experience using Taurus to perform simple, prospective, and retrospective dose calculations.
You’ll work through guided exercises that demonstrate how the software can be applied to different assessment scenarios while building confidence in using its core functions.
Interpret bioassay data with confidence
You’ll discover how bioassay measurements contribute to internal dose assessments and investigate techniques that support accurate, evidence-based decision-making in radiation protection and health physics.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a solid foundation in using Taurus software and a clearer understanding of the methods used to perform internal dose assessments in professional practice.
Syllabus
Week 1
Introduction to Internal Dosimetry and Taurus
Welcome to Taurus
In this video we'll give you a quick tour around the Taurus software, introducing the structure of the input and results areas, as well as the menu items.
An Introduction to Internal Dosimetry
A series of short videos discussing the basic concepts of Internal Dosimetry. Recordings are from the UKHSA's Foundation in Radiological Protection Training Course.
Quick Dose Calculation Video Demonstration
A first look at using the quick dose and bioassay calculation mode.
Inputs and Results
This video gives more explanation of the different input parameters needed for calculations and the different ways that you can view the resulting doses.
Simple Dose Calculations Exercise
These simple exercises will get you used to navigating around the Taurus screen and finding information, as well as thinking more widely about the input and results.
More Dose Calculations Exercise
Now that you are more comfortable with running Taurus we'll use these exercises to investigate the effects of changing input parameters for a given nuclide.
Week 2
Prospective Calculations
Prospective Calculation Video Demonstration
This video demonstration will show you the process of carrying out a prospective calculation.
Intake Regimes and Bioassay for Prospective Calculations
This lecture focuses on the extra input needed, and the results, for prospective calculations.
Exercises
These exercises will get you using the prospective calculation mode for a couple of different scenarios.
Radon Gas
A lecture on the occupational inhalation of radon gas and its progeny and how this is implemented in Taurus.
Week 3
Retrospective Calculations
Retrospective Calculation Video Demonstration
Retrospective calculation mode allows us to enter bioassay measurement data into Taurus, and from that the most likely intake will be calculated.
Introduction to Retrospective Calculations
In this lecture we'll look at the different types of measurement data in more detail and what Taurus needs to estimate an intake.
Exercise
As for the other weeks, we'll now work through a series of exercises to increase your confidence in using the retrospective calculation mode.
Measurement uncertainties
Why you need to specify uncertainties, what the different types (A and B) are, and how you can combine them.
Retrospective Calculations with Multiple Data
How intakes are estimated, starting with a single data point and progressing to multiple data.
Exercise
Inhalation Pu-239
Goodness-of-fit and Deviance
Deviance and chi-square - why they are important.
Autocorrelation
The autocorrelation coefficient - a measure of the non-randomness of the data.
Exercises
These exercises will use all of the features you have been learning about.
Week 4
Theoretical Case Studies
Inhalation Cs-137
In this section you will tackle more complex intake and dose calculations, and investigate the importance of error assumptions and handling of LOD data.
Inhalation Pu-239 nitrate
An artificial dataset has been generated to show how TAURUS can estimate intakes by properly taking into account observations that are recorded as less than the limit of detection (LOD).
Inhalation Am-241 - form uncertain
A male worker inhales an aerosol of Am-241 at a known time.
Week 5
International Intercomparisons
Acute inhalation of Co-60 (artificial case)
An irradiated capsule containing Co-60 wire was opened in a hot cell, and after 10 minutes dose rate alarms sounded.
Acute Inhalation Cs-137 and Sr-90 (real case)
During the reprocessing of graphite from a nuclear reactor there was an explosion, and a male worker inhaled the resulting aerosol.
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Apply appropriate bioassay data analysis techniques
- Evaluate and interpret fitting results and quality metrics
- Perform internal dose assessments using Taurus
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for professionals carrying out internal dose assessments following radionuclide intakes, including those working for Approved Dosimetry Services (ADS), the nuclear industry, and regulatory agencies. It is also suitable for researchers and learners who want to develop practical skills using Taurus software. No previous experience with Taurus is required, although a general understanding of scientific and statistical concepts is beneficial.
What software or tools do you need?
To get the most out of this training you will need your own copy of Taurus. If you already have a licence, you can download the latest version of Taurus from our website at https://www.ukhsa-protectionservices.org.uk/idcs. If you need to buy a copy you will also find the details on the website.
Who will you learn with?
I have worked in Internal Dosimetry (specifically calculation of reference dose coefficients) since the 1990s. I'm also a member of ICRP Committee 2 (Doses from Radiation Exposures).
I have worked in Internal Dosimetry as a Radiation Protection Scientist at UKHSA since 2007. I'm also a member of the ICRP Task Group 95 "Internal Dose Coefficients".
Radiation Protection Scientist at UKHSA.
Who developed the course?
UK Health Security Agency
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is responsible for planning, preventing and responding to external health threats by providing intellectual, scientific and operational leadership at national and local level, as well as on the global stage. UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.
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