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Woda C, Hiller M, Ademola JA, Bugrov NG, Degteva MO, Napier B. Luminescence dosimetry for evaluation of the external exposure in Metlino, upper Techa River valley, Southern Urals, Russia: Analysis of new results. Appl Radiat Isot 2023; 193:110618. [PMID: 36608624 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Luminescence dosimetry was applied in the former settlement of Metlino, Southern Urals, Russia as part of a full-scale study to validate the Techa River Dosimetry System (TRDS) 2016 for the upper Techa River region. The village, which was evacuated in 1956, was located 7 km downstream of the release point of liquid radioactive waste by the Mayak plutonium facility. Several brick samples were taken from north-eastern and south-eastern walls of the granary, facing the former Techa river shoreline and floodplain. Samples were all taken at the same height and measured at different depths into the brick. For the majority of brick samples, good Optically Stimulated Luminescence properties of the quartz grains were observed. In some cases, however, strong levels of sensitization and/or signal recuperation were encountered which necessitated adjustment in the measurement protocols. Anthropogenic doses in bricks varied from 1.5 to 6.6 Gy and the horizontal profiles along both walls showed significant variation, which is explained on a qualitative basis. A dose depth profile is observed for selected samples, which is different from the dose depth profile measured and simulated for samples from the north-western wall of the granary in previous studies. This is qualitatively explained by the differences in source configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Woda
- Helmholtz Zentrum München- German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Radiation Medicine, D-85764, Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - M Hiller
- Independent Researcher, Augsburg, Germany
| | - J A Ademola
- Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - N G Bugrov
- Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - M O Degteva
- Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - B Napier
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
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2
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Brooks AL, Hoel D, Glines WM. Radiobiology of Select Radionuclides in Hanford Site Tank Waste. HEALTH PHYSICS 2022; 123:99-115. [PMID: 35506883 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0000000000001563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
There are several important radionuclides involved in the "clean-up" or environmental isolation of nuclear waste contained in US Department of Energy Hanford Site underground waste tanks that drive many of the decisions associated with this activity. To make proper human health risk analyses and ensure that the most appropriate decisions are made, it is important to understand the radiation biology and the human health risk associated with these radionuclides. This manuscript provides some basic radiological science, in particular radiation biology, for some of these radionuclides, i.e., 3 H, 90 Sr, 137 Cs, 99 Tc, 129 I, and the alpha emitters 239, 240 Pu, 233,234,235,238 U, and 241 Am. These radionuclides were selected based on their designation as "constituents of potential concern," historical significance, or potential impact on human health risk. In addition to the radiobiology of these select radionuclides, this manuscript provides brief discussions of the estimated cost of planned management of Hanford tank waste and a comparison with releases into the Techa River from activities associated with the Mayak Production Association. A set of summary conclusions of the potential human health risks associated with these radionuclides is given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antone L Brooks
- Research Professor Emeritus, Washington State University Tri-Cities, Richland, WA
| | - David Hoel
- Medical University of South Carolina, 36 South Battery, Charleston, SC 29401
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Tolstykh EI, Degteva MO, Peremyslova LM, Shagina NB, Vorobiova MI, Anspaugh LR, Napier BA. Reconstruction of long-lived radionuclide intakes for Techa riverside residents: 137Cs. HEALTH PHYSICS 2013; 104:481-498. [PMID: 23532077 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0b013e318285bb7a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Radioactive contamination of the Techa River (Southern Urals, Russia) occurred from 1949-1956 due to routine and accidental releases of liquid radioactive wastes from the Mayak Production Association. The long-lived radionuclides in the releases were Sr and Cs. Contamination of the components of the Techa River system resulted in chronic external and internal exposure of about 30,000 residents of riverside villages. Data on radionuclide intake with diet are used to estimate internal dose in the Techa River Dosimetry System (TRDS), which was elaborated for the assessment of radiogenic risk for Techa Riverside residents. The Sr intake function was recently improved, taking into account the recently available archival data on radionuclide releases and in-depth analysis of the extensive data on Sr measurements in Techa Riverside residents. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate the dietary intake of Cs by Techa Riverside residents. The Cs intake with river water used for drinking was reconstructed on the basis of the Sr intake-function and the concentration ratio Cs-to-Sr in river water. Intake via Cs transfer from floodplain soil to grass and cows' milk was evaluated for the first time. As a result, the maximal Cs intake level was indicated near the site of releases in upper-Techa River settlements (8,000-9,000 kBq). For villages located on the lower Techa River, the Cs intake was significantly less (down to 300 kBq). Cows' milk was the main source of Cs in diet in the upper-Techa River region.
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Affiliation(s)
- E I Tolstykh
- Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Vorovskogo 68 a, 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation.
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Tolstykh EI, Shagina NB, Degteva MO, Anspaugh LR, Napier BA. Does the cortical bone resorption rate change due to 90Sr-radiation exposure? Analysis of data from Techa Riverside residents. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2011; 50:417-430. [PMID: 21523463 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-011-0363-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2010] [Accepted: 04/09/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The Mayak Production Association released large amounts of (90)Sr into the Techa River (Southern Urals, Russia) with peak amounts in 1950-1951. Techa Riverside residents ingested an average of about 3,000 kBq of (90)Sr. The (90)Sr-body burden of approximately 15,000 individuals has been measured in the Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine in 1974-1997 with use of a special whole-body counter (WBC). Strontium-90 had mainly deposited in the cortical part of the skeleton by 25 years following intake, and (90)Sr elimination occurs as a result of cortical bone resorption. The effect of (90)Sr-radiation exposure on the rate of cortical bone resorption was studied. Data on 2,022 WBC measurements were selected for 207 adult persons, who were measured three or more times before they were 50-55 years old. The individual-resorption rates were calculated with the rate of strontium recirculation evaluated as 0.0018 year(-1). Individual absorbed doses in red bone marrow (RBM) and bone surface (BS) were also calculated. Statistically significant negative relationships of cortical bone resorption rate were discovered related to (90)Sr-body burden and dose absorbed in the RBM or the BS. The response appears to have a threshold of about 1.5-Gy RBM dose. The radiation-induced decrease in bone resorption rate may not be significant in terms of health. However, a decrease in bone remodeling rate can be among several causes of an increased level of degenerative dystrophic bone pathology in exposed persons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenia I Tolstykh
- Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Vorovskogo 68a, 454076, Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation.
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5
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Tolstykh EI, Degteva MO, Peremyslova LM, Shagina NB, Shishkina EA, Krivoshchapov VA, Anspaugh LR, Napier BA. Reconstruction of long-lived radionuclide intakes for Techa riverside residents: strontium-90. HEALTH PHYSICS 2011; 101:28-47. [PMID: 21617390 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0b013e318206d0ff] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Releases of radioactive materials from the Mayak Production Association in 1949-1956 resulted in contamination of the Techa River; a nuclide of major interest was 90Sr, which downstream residents consumed with water from the river and with milk contaminated by cows' consumption of river water and contaminated pasture. Over the years, several reconstructions of dose have been performed for the approximately 30,000 persons who make up the Extended Techa River Cohort. The purpose of the study described here was to derive a revised reference-90Sr-intake function for the members of this cohort. The revision was necessary because recently discovered data have provided a more accurate description of the time course of the releases, and more is now known about the importance of the pasture grass-cow-milk pathway for the members of this cohort. The fundamental basis for the derivation of the reference-90Sr-intake function remains the same: thousands of measurements of 90Sr content in bone with a special whole-body counter, thousands of measurements of beta-activity of front teeth with a special tooth-beta counter, and a variety of other measurements, including post mortem measurements of 90Sr in bone, measurements of 90Sr in cow's milk, and measurements of beta activity in human excreta. Results of the new analyses are that the major intake started in September 1950 and peaked somewhat later than originally postulated. However, the total intake for adult residents has not changed significantly. For children of some birth years, the intake and incorporation of Sr in bone tissue have changed substantially.
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Affiliation(s)
- E I Tolstykh
- Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Vorovskogo 68 a, 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation.
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Eidemüller M, Ostroumova E, Krestinina L, Epiphanova S, Akleyev A, Jacob P. Comparison of mortality and incidence solid cancer risk after radiation exposure in the Techa River Cohort. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2010; 49:477-490. [PMID: 20461395 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-010-0289-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2009] [Accepted: 04/17/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
In the present paper, analysis of solid cancer mortality and incidence risk after radiation exposure in the Techa River Cohort in the Southern Urals region of Russia is described. Residents along the Techa River received protracted exposure to ionizing radiation in the 1950s due to the releases of radioactive materials from the Mayak Production Association. The current follow-up through December 2003 includes individuals exposed on the Techa riverside within the Chelyabinsk and Kurgan oblasts using mortality data, and within the Chelyabinsk oblast using incidence data. The analysis was performed by means of the biologically based two-stage clonal expansion (TSCE) model and conventional excess relative risk models. For the mortality and incidence cohorts, central estimates of the excess relative risk per dose of 0.85 Gy(-1) (95% CI 0.36; 1.38) and 0.91 Gy(-1) (95% CI 0.35; 1.52) were found, respectively. For both the mortality and incidence cohorts, the best description of the radiation risk was achieved with the same TSCE model including a lifelong radiation effect on the promotion rate of initiated cells. An increase in the excess risk with attained age was observed, whereas no significant change of risk with age at exposure was seen. Direct comparison of the mortality and incidence cohorts showed that the excess relative risk estimates agreed very well in both cohorts, as did the excess absolute risk and the hazard after correction for the different background rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Eidemüller
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute of Radiation Protection, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
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Standring WJ, Dowdall M, Strand P. Overview of dose assessment developments and the health of riverside residents close to the "Mayak" PA facilities, Russia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2009; 6:174-99. [PMID: 19440276 PMCID: PMC2672329 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph6010174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2008] [Accepted: 01/07/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA) has been involved in studies related to the Mayak PA and the consequences of activities undertaken at the site for a number of years. This paper strives to present an overview of past and present activities at the Mayak PA and subsequent developments in the quantification of health effects on local populations caused by discharges of radioactive waste into the Techa River. Assessments of doses to affected populations have relied on the development of dose reconstruction techniques for both external and internal doses. Contamination levels are typically inhomogeneous and decrease with increasing distance from the discharge point. Citations made in this paper give a comprehensive, though not exhaustive, basis for further reading about this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J.F. Standring
- Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, PO Box 55, N-1332 Østerås, Norway E-Mails:
(M. D.);
(P. S.)
| | - Mark Dowdall
- Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, PO Box 55, N-1332 Østerås, Norway E-Mails:
(M. D.);
(P. S.)
| | - Per Strand
- Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, PO Box 55, N-1332 Østerås, Norway E-Mails:
(M. D.);
(P. S.)
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8
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Degteva MO, Bougrov NG, Vorobiova MI, Jacob P, Yeter Göksu H. Evaluation of anthropogenic dose distribution amongst building walls at the Metlino area of the upper Techa River region. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2008; 47:469-479. [PMID: 18648838 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-008-0183-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2008] [Accepted: 07/06/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents the results of an effort to evaluate anthropogenic doses in bricks from old buildings located on the banks of the Techa River. The river area was contaminated in 1949-1956 as a result of radioactive waste releases by the Mayak plutonium facility (Southern Urals, Russia). Absorbed doses were determined by luminescence measurements of quartz extracted from the near-surface layers of bricks sampled in 1991-1997 from three remained buildings (a mill, a granary and a church). These buildings are located in the former residence area of Metlino, which was the settlement located closest to the release site (residents of Metlino were relocated from the contaminated river in 1956). The measured anthropogenic dose in the three buildings was found to be comparable: minimum values were equal to 0.5-0.9 Gy and maximum values amounted to about 3-4 Gy. Unfortunately, the geometry of gamma-exposure of the brick samples changed significantly in 1956 as a result of creation of an artificial reservoir downstream of the Metlinsky pond. Since luminescence data provide absorbed dose in the investigated samples accumulated over the whole period of irradiation, for interpretation of the data obtained it is important to know the exposure geometry for the period of maximal exposure, which was in the early 1950s. In 2005, archival data describing configuration of contaminated water streams and shorelines (which were the main sources of gamma-irradiation) were published. Comparison of these data with the results of the luminescence study presented here showed that the bricks with the highest thermoluminescence (TL)-based doses faced contaminated shores and were located close to them. In contrast, the bricks with lower values of measured dose were opposite to contaminated shores and/or being shielded. This demonstrates that the luminescence method allowed reconstruction of the anthropogenic dose distribution in the former settlement center. The obtained results suggest new options for further luminescence studies in Metlino aimed at the reconstruction of the external exposures of the affected population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina O Degteva
- Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 68-a Vorovsky Street, 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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9
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Eidemüller M, Ostroumova E, Krestinina L, Akleyev A, Jacob P. Analysis of solid cancer mortality in the techa river cohort using the two-step clonal expansion model. Radiat Res 2008; 169:138-48. [PMID: 18220471 DOI: 10.1667/rr1157.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2007] [Accepted: 10/02/2007] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
In this study the solid cancer mortality data in the Techa River Cohort in the Southern Urals region of Russia was analyzed. The cohort received protracted exposure in the 1950s due to the releases of radioactive materials from the Mayak plutonium complex. The Extended Techa River Cohort includes 29,849 people who resided along the Techa River between 1950 and 1960 and were followed from January 1, 1950 through December 31, 1999. The analysis was done within the framework of the biologically based two-stage clonal expansion (TSCE) model. It was found that about 2.6% of the 1854 solid cancer deaths (excluding 18 bone cancer cases) could be related to radiation exposure. At age 63, which is the mean age for solid cancer deaths, the excess relative risk (ERR) and excess absolute risk (EAR) were found to be 0.76 Gy(-1) (95% CI 0.23; 1.29) and 33.0 (10(4) PY Gy)(-1) (95% CI 9.8; 52.6), respectively. These risk estimates are consistent with earlier excess relative risk analyses for the same cohort. The change in the ERR with age was investigated in detail, and an increase in risk with attained age was observed. Furthermore, the data were tested for possible signs of genomic instability, and it was found that the data could be described equally well by a model incorporating effects of genomic instability. Results from the TSCE models indicated that radiation received at older ages might have stronger biological effects than exposure at younger ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Eidemüller
- GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Institute of Radiation Protection, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
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10
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Degteva MO, Vorobiova MI, Tolstykh EI, Shagina NB, Shishkina EA, Anspaugh LR, Napier BA, Bougrov NG, Shved VA, Tokareva EE. Development of an Improved Dose Reconstruction System for the Techa River Population Affected by the Operation of the Mayak Production Association. Radiat Res 2006; 166:255-70. [PMID: 16808612 DOI: 10.1667/rr3438.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The Techa River Dosimetry System (TRDS) has been developed to provide estimates of dose received by approximately 30,000 members of the Extended Techa River Cohort (ETRC). Members of the ETRC were exposed beginning in 1949 to significant levels of external and internal (mainly from (90)Sr) dose but at low to moderate dose rates. Members of this cohort are being studied in an effort to test the hypothesis that exposure at low to moderate dose rates has the same ability to produce stochastic health effects as exposure at high dose rates. The current version of the TRDS is known as TRDS-2000 and is the subject of this paper. The estimated doses from (90)Sr are supported strongly by approximately 30,000 measurements made with a tooth beta-particle counter, measurements of bones collected at autopsy, and approximately 38,000 measurements made with a special whole-body counter that detects the bremsstrahlung from (90)Y. The median doses to the red bone marrow and the bone surface are 0.21 and 0.37 Gy, respectively. The maximum doses to the red bone marrow and bone surface are 2.0 and 5.2 Gy, respectively. Distributions of dose to other organs are provided and are lower than the values given above. Directions for future work are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- M O Degteva
- Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Medgorodok, 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation
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Shagina NB, Bougrov NG, Degteva MO, Kozheurov VP, Tolstykh EI. An application ofin vivowhole body counting technique for studying strontium metabolism and internal dose reconstruction for the Techa River population. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/41/1/048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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12
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Ostroumova E, Gagnière B, Laurier D, Gudkova N, Krestinina L, Verger P, Hubert P, Bard D, Akleyev A, Tirmarche M, Kossenko M. Risk analysis of leukaemia incidence among people living along the Techa River: a nested case-control study. JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION 2006; 26:17-32. [PMID: 16522942 DOI: 10.1088/0952-4746/26/1/001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Large quantities of radioactive materials released over time from the Mayak nuclear weapons facility caused significant internal and external exposure for people living along the banks of the Techa River (Southern Urals, Russia). We conducted a nested case-control study in the Extended Techa River Cohort to determine whether the risk of leukaemia incidence increased with protracted exposure to ionising radiation or with other non-radiation risk factors. The study included 83 cases identified over 47 years of follow-up and 415 controls matched for sex, age at diagnosis, age (within a 5 year age group), and date of initial residence in the riverside area. External and internal doses have been calculated using the Techa River Dosimetry System 1996 (TRDS96). Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios per Gray (OR/Gy) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). After excluding cases of chronic lymphoid leukaemia, the OR/Gy of total, external, and internal doses were 4.6 (95% CI: 1.7-12.3), 7.2 (95%CI: 1.7-30.0) and 5.4 (95%CI: 1.1-27.2), respectively. A history of solid tumour, either malignant or benign, before the leukaemia diagnosis was associated with a 2.5-fold increase in the leukaemia risk (95% CI: 1.1-5.9). Even though the analysis of confounders was less useful than expected because of missing data, multivariate analyses that took the exposure dose into account confirmed the association between leukaemia incidence and tumour history.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Ostroumova
- Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Chelyabinsk, Russia
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Balonov M, Alexakhin R, Bouville A, Liljinzin JO. Report from the techa river dosimetry review workshop held on 8-10 December 2003 at The State Research Centre Institute of Biophysics, Moscow, Russia. HEALTH PHYSICS 2006; 90:97-113. [PMID: 16404168 DOI: 10.1097/01.hp.0000175628.64637.8c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Large releases of fission products into the Techa River, in the Southern Urals, occurred in 1950 and 1951, during the early years of operation of the Mayak Production Association (Mayak PA), which produced plutonium for nuclear weapons. Increases of leukemia and of solid cancers with radiation dose have been noted in the population of about 30,000 people who lived in the settlements downstream of the site of the radioactive releases; that population has been studied for several decades by Russian scientists, notably in the framework of cooperation with American and European scientists. The radiation doses are currently estimated by means of the Techa River Dosimetry System-2000 (TRDS-2000). Recently, a scientist from Mayak PA has suggested in several publications that the doses calculated using TRDS-2000 might be underestimated substantially. A special international Workshop, held in Moscow on 8-10 December 2003, aimed to resolve some of the pressing issues related to the determination of the external and internal doses received by the Techa River population and to give recommendations on the further development of methodologies used for dose reconstruction. The authors of this article were selected by the organizers of the Workshop to draw the conclusions of the meeting. They express the view that, while the dose reconstruction system TRDS-2000 is basically sound, additional work is needed and the results of any epidemiological studies making use of TRDS-2000 should be qualified as preliminary, pending resolution of several issues. The most important of these issues is the re-evaluation of the activities released, using additional information that could be obtained with the help of Mayak experts. Other specific suggestions aiming to improve the dose reconstruction methodology for the Techa River cohort, i.e., continued measurements of accumulated dose in environmental samples and human tissues, validation of external dose estimates with thermoluminescence measurements of bricks and with electron paramagnetic resonance measurements of teeth, estimation of individual doses instead of group doses, detailed account of the contributions to dose of medical examinations and of other releases from the Mayak complex, and careful assessment of the uncertainties, were made by the meeting participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Balonov
- International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramerstrasse 5, P.O. Box 100, A-1400, Vienna, Austria
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Krestinina LY, Preston DL, Ostroumova EV, Degteva MO, Ron E, Vyushkova OV, Startsev NV, Kossenko MM, Akleyev AV. Protracted radiation exposure and cancer mortality in the Techa River Cohort. Radiat Res 2005; 164:602-11. [PMID: 16238437 DOI: 10.1667/rr3452.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In the 1950s many thousands of people living in rural villages on the Techa River received protracted internal and external exposures to ionizing radiation from the release of radioactive material from the Mayak plutonium production complex. The Extended Techa River Cohort includes 29,873 people born before 1950 who lived near the river sometime between 1950 and 1960. Vital status and cause of death are known for most cohort members. Individualized dose estimates have been computed using the Techa River Dosimetry System 2000. The analyses provide strong evidence of long-term carcinogenic effects of protracted low-dose-rate exposures; however, the risk estimates must be interpreted with caution because of uncertainties in the dose estimates. We provide preliminary radiation risk estimates for cancer mortality based on 1,842 solid cancer deaths (excluding bone cancer) and 61 deaths from leukemia. The excess relative risk per gray for solid cancer is 0.92 (95% CI 0.2; 1.7), while those for leukemia, including and excluding chronic lymphocytic leukemia, are 4.2 (CI 95% 1.2; 13) and 6.5 (CI 95% 1.8; 24), respectively. It is estimated that about 2.5% of the solid cancer deaths and 63% of the leukemia deaths are associated with the radiation exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Yu Krestinina
- Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Chelyabinsk, Russia
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15
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Degteva MO, Anspaugh LR, Akleyev AV, Jacob P, Ivanov DV, Wieser A, Vorobiova MI, Shishkina EA, Shved VA, Vozilova A, Bayankin SN, Napier BA. Electron paramagnetic resonance and fluorescence in situ hybridization-based investigations of individual doses for persons living at Metlino in the upper reaches of the Techa River. HEALTH PHYSICS 2005; 88:139-153. [PMID: 15650589 DOI: 10.1097/01.hp.0000146612.69488.9c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Waterborne releases to the Techa River from the Mayak Production Association in Russia during 1949-1956 resulted in significant doses to persons living downstream; the most contaminated village was Metlino, about 7 km from the site of release. Internal and external doses have been estimated for these residents using the Techa River Dosimetry System-2000 (TRDS-2000); the primary purpose is to support epidemiological studies of the members of the Extended Techa River Cohort. Efforts to validate the calculations of external and internal dose are considered essential. One validation study of the TRDS-2000 system has been performed by the comparison of calculated doses to quartz from bricks in old buildings at Metlino with those measured by luminescence dosimetry. Two additional methods of validation considered here are electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements of teeth and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) measurements of chromosome translocations in circulating lymphocytes. For electron paramagnetic resonance, 36 measurements on 26 teeth from 16 donors from Metlino were made at the GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health (16 measurements) and the Institute of Metal Physics (20 measurements); the correlation among measurements made at the two laboratories has been found to be 0.99. Background measurements were also made on 218 teeth (63 molars, 128 premolars, and 27 incisors). Fluorescence in situ hybridization measurements were made for 31 residents of Metlino. These measurements were handicapped by the analysis of a limited number of cells; for several individuals no stable translocations were observed. Fluorescence in situ hybridization measurements were also made for 39 individuals believed to be unexposed. The EPR- and FISH-based estimates agreed well for permanent residents of Metlino: 0.67 +/- 0.21 Gy and 0.48 +/- 0.18 Gy (mean +/- standard error of the mean), respectively. Results of the two experimental methods also agreed well with the estimates derived from the use of the TRDS-2000. For all persons investigated according to each technique, the EPR-measured dose to enamel was 0.55 +/- 0.17 Gy, and the TRDS-2000 prediction for the dose to enamel for these individuals is 0.55 +/- 0.07 Gy. The fluorescence in situ hybridization-based dose, 0.38 +/- 0.10 Gy, compared well to the TRDS-2000 prediction of external dose, 0.31 +/- 0.03 Gy, to red bone marrow for these persons. Validation of external doses at the remaining villages is an active area of investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina O Degteva
- Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russia
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Abstract
Ionizing radiation has been the subject of intense epidemiological investigation. Studies have demonstrated that exposure to moderate-to-high levels can cause most forms of cancer, leukaemia and cancers of the breast, lung and thyroid being particularly sensitive to induction by radiation, especially at young ages at exposure. Predominant among these studies is the Life Span Study of the cohort of survivors of the atomic bombings of Japan in 1945, but substantial evidence is derived from groups exposed for medical reasons, occupationally or environmentally. Notable among these other groups are underground hard rock miners who inhaled radioactive radon gas and its decay products, large numbers of patients irradiated therapeutically and workers who received high doses in the nuclear weapons programme of the former USSR. The degree of carcinogenic risk arising from low levels of exposure is more contentious, but the available evidence points to an increased risk that is approximately proportional to the dose received. Epidemiological investigations of nonionizing radiation have established ultraviolet radiation as a cause of skin cancer. However, the evidence for a carcinogenic effect of other forms of nonionizing radiation, such as those associated with mobile telephones or electricity transmission lines, is not convincing, although the possibility of a link between childhood leukaemia and extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields cannot be dismissed entirely.
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Shagina NB, Tolstykh EI, Zalyapin VI, Degteva MO, Kozheurov VP, Tokareva EE, Anspaugh LR, Napier BA. Evaluation of age and gender dependences of the rate of strontium elimination 25-45 years after intake: analysis of data from residents living along the Techa river. Radiat Res 2003; 159:239-46. [PMID: 12537529 DOI: 10.1667/0033-7587(2003)159[0239:eoaagd]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The Mayak Production Association released large amounts of 90Sr into the Techa River with peak amounts in 1950-1951. Residents near the Techa River ingested an average of approximately 3,000 kBq of 90Sr. The affected people have been followed by scientists at the Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine. The whole-body content of 90Sr of approximately 15,000 individuals has been measured over a period of 24 years (1974-1997) using a special whole-body counter. This report evaluates the gender and age dependences of individual rates of strontium elimination. Data on persons who had been measured 12 or more times were selected for study. There were 108 men and 81 women older than 30 years who met this criterion. Individual measurement results were fitted to an exponential function and grouped mean averages of the rate of strontium elimination as a function of age for each sex were derived. For men, a significant increase (from 2.8% year(-1) to 3.2% year(-1)) in the rate of strontium elimination after age 55 years is seen. For women, the increase in the rate of elimination was significant at age 45 and reached 5.8% year(-1) after the age of 60. The results may be used to develop a gender- and age-dependent model of strontium metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- N B Shagina
- Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Medgorodok, 454076 Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation
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Leenhouts HP, Brugmans MJP, Bijwaard H. The implications of re-analysing radiation-induced leukaemia in atomic bomb survivors: risks for acute and chronic exposures are different. JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION 2002; 22:A163-A167. [PMID: 12400967 DOI: 10.1088/0952-4746/22/3a/329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Implications of risk estimates, as required for practical radiation protection purposes, were explored through a preliminary re-analysis of leukaemia in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors using a biologically based cancer model. The calculations for the risks posed for contracting leukaemia pointed to important differences between low-dose-rate ('chronic') and high-dose-rate ('acute') exposures. For example, the risks caused by long-term ('chronic') exposures are calculated to be substantially lower than those for 'acute' exposures. In view of these model predictions the results of epidemiological studies are discussed.
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