An Analysis of the Mortality of Workers in a Nuclear Facility

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance in atomic bomb survivors: incidence and transformation to multiple myeloma

“…Radiation did not affect the overall MGUS incidence. Some A-bomb survivor studies were inconclusive regarding a relationship between radiation dose and MM, while others indicated a close association between them (Mancuso et al, 1977;Gilbert & Marks, 1979;Huntington et al, 1979;Cuzick, 1981;Gilbert et al, 1993). While Ichimaru et al (1982) reported a significant increase in MM incidence among A-bomb survivors in the period 1950-1976, a 1950-1990 incidence study that used new criteria showed no association of MM with radiation dose (Preston et al, 1994).…”

Occupational mortality studies. Principles of validity.

“…This term usually refers to a tendency for any particular employed population to have lower mortality than the general population. The tendency has been observed for a variety of occupations and causes of death (4,5,8,9,10,14,19,23,24). Thus an observed-to-expected (0 : E) ratio of less than one might still suggest excess mortality as long as the "general population" is used as the reference population.…”

“…As many authors have pointed out, the healthy worker effect arises from the use of the general population as the reference population (6,8,9,10,11,14,16,19,20,23,24,27). Each occupational setting has its characteristic requirements and incentives for job entry (2,6,8,9,10,14,16,19,20,24) and exit (2,6,9,10,14,16,20), and these, when different for the index occupation and the "general population" and also when related to mortality, produce the healthy worker effect.…”

“…The reason is that the magnitude of the healthy worker effect is not constant but varies according to many factors, ie, (i) cause of death (4,5,8,9,10,14,16,19,23,24), (ii) demographic factors [It varies by occupation and work category (4,5,8,9,10,14,16,19,23,24,27), is usually -stronger for nonwhites than whites (4,5,14,16) and stronger for the young than for the old (9,16), generally decreases with early retirement (6, 28), etc. ], and (iii) time lag since starting the work or -since the zero time of a cohort [It is prominent at the beginning and tends to decline with the passage of time (6,9,16,20,24,28).]…”

Historical Exposures to Chemicals at the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant: A Pilot Retrospective Exposure Assessment

“…(1987) found that employees with surface exposure from beta particle radiation had increased mortality from prostate cancer (p= 0.001 ). Gilbert and Marks (1979) found no increased mortality levels in a study of Hanford. Excess mortality rates were found in nuclear fuels fabrication workers.…”