Cerebrovascular diseases in nuclear workers first employed at the Mayak PA in 1948–1972

Abstract

Incidence and mortality from cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) (430-438 ICD-9 codes) have been studied in a cohort of 18,763 workers first employed at the Mayak Production Association (Mayak PA) in 1948-1972 and followed up to the end of 2005. Some of the workers were exposed to external gamma-rays only while others were exposed to a mixture of external gamma-rays and internal alpha-particle radiation due to incorporated (239)Pu. After adjusting for non-radiation factors, there were significantly increasing trends in CVD incidence with total absorbed dose from external gamma-rays and total absorbed dose to liver from internal alpha radiation. The CVD incidence was statistically significantly higher among workers with total absorbed external gamma-ray doses greater than 0.20 Gy compared to those exposed to lower doses; the data were consistent with a linear trend in risk with external dose. The CVD incidence was statistically significantly higher among workers with total absorbed internal alpha-radiation doses to liver from incorporated (239)Pu greater than 0.025 Gy compared to those exposed to lower doses. There was no statistically significant trend in CVD mortality risk with either external gamma-ray dose or internal alpha-radiation dose to liver. The risk estimates obtained are generally compatible with those from other large occupational studies, although the incidence data point to higher risk estimates compared to those from the Japanese A-bomb survivors. Further studies of the unique cohort of Mayak workers chronically exposed to external and internal radiation will allow improving the reliability and validating the radiation safety standards for occupational and public exposure.

Dose–responses from multi-model inference for the non-cancer disease mortality of atomic bomb survivors

“…This together with the fact that these individuals did not have the threatening and traumatic experience of being exposed to the detonation of a nuclear bomb makes this data set especially valuable for risk estimations of general populations. Recently, statistically significant increasing trends in the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases with external γ-ray dose have been reported for this cohort (Azizova et al 2010a, b, 2011). Azizova et al (2010a) found statistically significant increasing trends with both total external gamma-ray dose and internal liver dose in the incidence of ischaemic heart disease, a form of cardiovascular disease.…”

“…Azizova et al (2010a) found statistically significant increasing trends with both total external gamma-ray dose and internal liver dose in the incidence of ischaemic heart disease, a form of cardiovascular disease. They also reported statistically significant increasing trends in cerebrovascular disease incidence but not mortality with both total external γ-ray dose and internal liver dose from α-particle radiation (Azizova et al 2010b, 2011). …”

Classification of radiation effects for dose limitation purposes: history, current situation and future prospects

“…One A-bomb paper published in 2010 [7] concluded the lack of threshold for CVD and CeVD, and was most influential in ICRP-118 recommending a threshold of 0.5 Gy for such circulatory disease. Likewise, two Mayak papers are also in support of the LNT dose response for CVD and CeVD [29, 30]. …”

Ischaemic heart disease incidence and mortality in an extended cohort of Mayak workers first employed in 1948–1982

“…[1][2][3][4][5] More recently, non-cancer effects of prolonged occupational radiation exposure in the Mayak Worker Cohort have been examined. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Non-cancer effects, such as circulatory and respiratory diseases, were first investigated in the cohort of workers first employed during the first decade of the Mayak PA operation . These workers were exposed at high doses and dose rates to both external and internal radiation.…”