Case-control study of leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in children in Caithness near the Dounreay nuclear installation.

Abstract

Objective-To examine whether the observed excess of childhood leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the area around the Dounreay nuclear installation is associated with established risk factors, or with factors related to the plant, or with parental occupation in the nuclear industry.Design-Case-control study. Results-No raised relative risks were found for prenatal exposure to x rays, social class of parents, employment at Dounreay before conception or diagnosis, father's dose of ionising radiation before conception, or child's residence within 50 m of the path of microwave transmission beams. Results also proved negative for all lifestyle factors except an apparent association with use of beaches within 25 km of Dounreay. However, this result was based on small numbers, arose in the context of multiple hypothesis testing, and is certainly vulnerable to possible systematic bias.Conclusion-The raised incidence of childhood leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma around Dounreay cannot be explained by paternal occupation at Dounreay or by paternal exposure to external ionising radiation before conception. The observation of an apparent association between the use of beaches around Dounreay and the development of childhood leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma might be an artefact ofmultiple testing and influenced by recall bias.

Cancer in children of nuclear industry employees: report on children aged under 25 years from nuclear industry family study

“…It is a within industry investigation, being more analogous to the cohort studies that examined the health of nuclear workers39 – 44 than to the population based case-control studies that have reported on cancer in young people living in areas around nuclear sites. 10 14 16 45 46 The study was resticted to employees of nuclear establishments operated by the Atomic Energy Authority, Atomic Weapons Establishment, and british Nuclear Fuels because each of these industries had at least one plant that had been subject to a report alleging an increased incidence of leukaemia in young people residing in its vicinity. 1 4 6 9 10 14…”

Modeling Dose Deposition and DNA Damage Due to Low-Energy β–Emitters

“…They pointed out that Pobel and Viel (1997), in a case-control study of childhood leukaemia conducted around the La Hague reprocessing plant in Normandy, France, found statistical associations with the use of local beaches by pregnant women and children and with the consumption of local seafood by children. Urquhart et al (1991) found an association with children's use of local beaches in a similar study around Dounreay. However, these associations were based on self-reported habit information, and Gardner et al (1990) did not find such associations near Sellafield with higher marine discharges; these authors warned against potentially low quality data obtained in this way.…”

Risk of Childhood Leukaemia in the Vicinity of Nuclear Installations: Findings and Recent Controversies

“…Several case-control studies have examined factors that might lead to increased radiation exposure or contamination (72)(73)(74)(75). Among the large number of factors studied, a few, such as recreational use of beaches (73,75) and consumption of local sh and seafood (75), were found signi cantly to increase the risk of leukaemia.…”

“…Among the large number of factors studied, a few, such as recreational use of beaches (73,75) and consumption of local sh and seafood (75), were found signi cantly to increase the risk of leukaemia. However, these factors could only be considered vaguely linked to environmental exposure to radioisotopes or to other toxic substances.…”