Lung cancer mortality among nuclear workers of the Mayak facilities in the former Soviet Union

Kreisheimer, M.; Sokolnikov, Mikhail; Koshurnikova, N.A.; Khokhryakov, V. F.; Romanow, S. A.; Shilnikova, Natalia S.; Okatenko, P.V.; Nekolla, E.; Kellerer, Albrecht M.

doi:10.1007/s00411-003-0198-3

Cited by 39 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Both body burdens and organ doses from plutonium and external doses have been analyzed in a variety of ways (Koshurnikova et al 1998Gilbert et al 2000;IARC 2001;Kreisheimer et al 2003;Shilnikova et al 2003). In the United States, dose-response analyses have been conducted of internal intakes of plutonium, but body burdens and not organ doses were used (Wiggs et al 1994;Wilkinson et al 1987;Voelz et al 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Dose Reconstruction Methodology for Former Rocketdyne/Atomics International Radiation Workers

Boice

Leggett²,

Ellis³

et al. 2006

Health Physics

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Incomplete radiation exposure histories, inadequate treatment of internally deposited radionuclides, and failure to account for neutron exposures can be important uncertainties in epidemiologic studies of radiation workers. Organ-specific doses from lifetime occupational exposures and radionuclide intakes were estimated for an epidemiologic study of 5,801 Rocketdyne/Atomics International (AI) radiation workers engaged in nuclear technologies between 1948 and 1999. The entire workforce of 46,970 Rocketdyne/AI employees was identified from 35,042 Kardex work histories cards, 26,136 electronic personnel listings, and 14,189 radiation folders containing individual exposure histories. To obtain prior and subsequent occupational exposure information, the roster of all workers was matched against nationwide dosimetry files from the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Landauer dosimetry company, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Air Force. Dosimetry files of other worker studies were also accessed. Computation of organ doses from radionuclide intakes was complicated by the diversity of bioassay data collected over a 40-y period (urine and fecal samples, lung counts, whole-body counts, nasal smears, and wound and incident reports) and the variety of radionuclides with documented intake including isotopes of uranium, plutonium, americium, calcium, cesium, cerium, zirconium, thorium, polonium, promethium, iodine, zinc, strontium, and hydrogen (tritium). Over 30,000 individual bioassay measurements, recorded on 11 different bioassay forms, were abstracted. The bioassay data were evaluated using ICRP biokinetic models recommended in current or upcoming ICRP documents (modified for one inhaled material to reflect site-specific information) to estimate annual doses for 16 organs or tissues taking into account time of exposure, type of radionuclide, and excretion patterns. Detailed internal exposure scenarios were developed and annual internal doses were derived on a case-by-case basis for workers with committed equivalent doses indicated by screening criteria to be greater than 10 mSv to the organ with the highest internal dose. Overall, 5,801 workers were monitored for radiation at Rocketdyne/AI: 5,743 for external exposure and 2,232 for internal intakes of radionuclides; 41,169 workers were not monitored for radiation. The mean cumulative external dose based on Rocketdyne/AI records alone was 10.0 mSv, and the dose distribution was highly skewed with most workers experiencing low cumulative doses and only a few with high doses (maximum 500 mSv). Only 45 workers received greater than 200 mSv while employed at Rocketdyne/AI. However, nearly 32% (or 1,833) of the Rocketdyne/AI workers had been monitored for radiation at other nuclear facilities and incorporation of these doses increased the mean dose to 13.5 mSv (maximum 1,005 mSv) and the number of workers with >200 mSv to 69. For a small number of workers (n=292), lung doses from internal radionuclide intakes were relatively high (mean 106 mSv; maximum 3,560...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Dose Reconstruction Methodology for Former Rocketdyne/Atomics International Radiation Workers

Boice

Leggett²,

Ellis³

et al. 2006

Health Physics

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“…Estimates of historical doses are being improved, especially the organ-specific doses from plutonium, but external doses are sufficiently accurate to allow approximate risk estimates to be generated. Clear and large excesses of lung, liver and bone cancers (sites where plutonium will accumulate) were found to be related to assessed plutonium exposure Koshurnikova et al, 2000;Kreisheimer et al, 2003). These cancers were also associated with external exposure and, as a grouping, the ERR coefficient was found to be 0.30/Sv external radiation (90% CI: 0.18, 0.46) , after adjustment for exposure to plutonium .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

The cancer epidemiology of radiation

2004

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“…Lung cancer risks have been studied by several investigators including Tokarskaya et al [3], Koshurnikova et al [4], and Kreisheimer et al [5]. In the most recent of these analyses, Kreisheimer et al [5] evaluated the risk of lung cancer as a function of dose from external exposure and internal exposure from plutonium. A highly significant association was demonstrated for internal exposure; for external exposure there was a trend with borderline statistical significance.…”

Section: Major Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%