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Šefl M, Zhou JY, Avtandilashvili M, McComish SL, Tolmachev SY. Plutonium in Manhattan Project workers: Using autopsy data to evaluate organ content and dose estimates based on urine bioassay with implications for radiation epidemiology. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259057. [PMID: 34699566 PMCID: PMC8547658 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Radiation dose estimates in epidemiology typically rely on intake predictions based on urine bioassay measurements. The purpose of this article is to compare the conventional dosimetric estimates for radiation epidemiology with the estimates based on additional post-mortem tissue radiochemical analysis results. METHODS The comparison was performed on a unique group of 11 former Manhattan Project nuclear workers, who worked with plutonium in the 1940s, and voluntarily donated their bodies to the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries. RESULTS Post-mortem organ activities were predicted using different sets of urine data and compared to measured activities. Use of urinalysis data collected during the exposure periods overestimated the systemic (liver+skeleton) deposition of 239Pu by 155±134%, while the average bias from using post-exposure urinalyses was -4±50%. Committed effective doses estimated using early urine data differed from the best estimate by, on average, 196±193%; inclusion of follow-up urine measurements in analyses decreased the mean bias to 0.6±36.3%. Cumulative absorbed doses for the liver, red marrow, bone surface, and brain were calculated for the actual commitment period. CONCLUSION On average, post-exposure urine bioassay results were in good agreement with post-mortem tissue analyses and were more reliable than results of urine bioassays collected during the exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Šefl
- United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Richland, Washington, United States of America
| | - Joey Y. Zhou
- Office of Domestic and International Health Studies, United States Department of Energy, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Maia Avtandilashvili
- United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Richland, Washington, United States of America
| | - Stacey L. McComish
- United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Richland, Washington, United States of America
| | - Sergei Y. Tolmachev
- United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Richland, Washington, United States of America
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Golden AP, Milder CM, Ellis ED, Anderson JL, Boice JD, Bertke SJ, Zablotska LB. Cohort profile: four early uranium processing facilities in the US and Canada. Int J Radiat Biol 2021; 97:833-847. [DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2021.1917786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley P. Golden
- Health Studies Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Cato M. Milder
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth D. Ellis
- Health Studies Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Jeri L. Anderson
- Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - John D. Boice
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Stephen J. Bertke
- Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Lydia B. Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Karpov AB, Takhauov RM, Zerenkov AG, Semenova YV, Bogdanov IM, Kazantceva SB, Blinov AP, Kalinkin DE, Gorina GV, Litvinova OV, Ermolaev YD, Mironova EB, Plaksin MB, Takhauov AR, Zablotska LB. Descriptive characteristics of occupational exposures and medical follow-up in the cohort of workers of the Siberian Group of Chemical Enterprises in Seversk, Russia. Int J Radiat Biol 2021; 97:848-860. [DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2021.1917787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrey B. Karpov
- Seversk Biophysical Research Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
- Siberian State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Ravil M. Takhauov
- Seversk Biophysical Research Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
- Siberian State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Andrey G. Zerenkov
- Seversk Biophysical Research Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
| | - Yulia V. Semenova
- Seversk Biophysical Research Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
- Siberian Federal Research and Clinical Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
| | - Igor M. Bogdanov
- Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology №81 of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
| | - Svetlana B. Kazantceva
- Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology №81 of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
| | - Aleksey P. Blinov
- Seversk Biophysical Research Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
| | - Dmitriy E. Kalinkin
- Seversk Biophysical Research Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
| | - Galina V. Gorina
- Seversk Biophysical Research Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
| | - Olesya V. Litvinova
- Seversk Biophysical Research Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
| | - Yuriy D. Ermolaev
- Siberian Federal Research and Clinical Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
| | - Elena B. Mironova
- Siberian Federal Research and Clinical Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
| | - Mikhail B. Plaksin
- Siberian Federal Research and Clinical Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
| | - Anas R. Takhauov
- Seversk Biophysical Research Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Seversk, Russia
| | - Lydia B. Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Kelly-Reif K, Richardson DB, Wing S. Cancer incidence surrounding the former Apollo nuclear facility 1990-2010. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2019; 29:852-859. [PMID: 29618763 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-018-0032-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Environmental radiation releases from a nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Apollo, Pennsylvania may have exposed the surrounding population to ionizing radiation. This study characterizes cancer incidence in the population living near the nuclear facility between 1990 and 2010. Cancer incidence in the minor civil divisions surrounding the Apollo facility was compared to a standard population of the state of Pennsylvania adjusted for calendar year, age, sex, and race. Bias due to residential misclassification was considered by adjustment of case count. We also evaluated whether birth cohort effects or changes in population distribution over time affected the standardized incidence rate ratio (SIR). From 1990 to 2010, the observed rate of cancer incidence among males in the Apollo area was 1.56 (95% CI 1.47-1.66) times the expected cancer rate, and among females was 1.38 (95% CI 1.30-1.47) times the expected cancer rate. Accounting for residential misclassification, the SIR for males and females combined was 1.16 (95% CI 1.10-1.21). Residents who were members of earlier birth cohorts had similar SIRs to those born later. This research suggests that cancer incidence among the population surrounding the former Apollo nuclear facility is greater than expected based on statewide rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin Kelly-Reif
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - David B Richardson
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Steve Wing
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Golden AP, Ellis ED, Cohen SS, Mumma MT, Leggett RW, Wallace PW, Girardi D, Watkins JP, Shore RE, Boice JD. Updated mortality analysis of the Mallinckrodt uranium processing workers, 1942–2012. Int J Radiat Biol 2019; 98:701-721. [DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2019.1569773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - David Girardi
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | | | - Roy E. Shore
- Epidemiology Division, New York University School of Medicine, NewYork, NY, USA
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - John D. Boice
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Epidemiology, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Golden AP, Cohen SS, Chen H, Ellis ED, Boice JD. Evaluation of statistical modeling approaches for epidemiologic studies of low-dose radiation health effects. Int J Radiat Biol 2019; 98:572-579. [DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2018.1554924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Heidi Chen
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - John D. Boice
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Zhivin S, Guseva Canu I, Davesne E, Blanchardon E, Garsi JP, Samson E, Niogret C, Zablotska LB, Laurier D. Circulatory disease in French nuclear fuel cycle workers chronically exposed to uranium: a nested case–control study. Occup Environ Med 2017; 75:270-276. [DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2017-104575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
ObjectivesThere is growing evidence of an association between low-dose external γ-radiation and circulatory system diseases (CSDs), yet sparse data exist about an association with chronic internal uranium exposure and the role of non-radiation risk factors. We conducted a nested case–control study of French AREVA NC Pierrelatte nuclear workers employed between 1960 and 2005 to estimate CSD risks adjusting for major CSD risk factors (smoking, blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol and glycaemia) and external γ-radiation dose.MethodsThe study included 102 cases of death from CSD and 416 controls individually matched on age, gender, birth cohort and socio-professional status. Information on CSD risk factors was collected from occupational medical records. Organ-specific absorbed doses were estimated using biomonitoring data, taking into account exposure regime and uranium physicochemical properties. External γ-radiation was measured by individual dosimeter badges. Analysis was conducted with conditional logistic regression.ResultsWorkers were exposed to very low radiation doses (mean γ-radiation dose 2 and lung uranium dose 1 mGy). A positive but imprecise association was observed (excess OR per mGy 0.2, 95% CI 0.004 to 0.5). Results obtained after adjustment suggest that uranium exposure might be an independent CSD risk factor.ConclusionsOur results suggest that a positive association might exist between internal uranium exposure and CSD mortality, not confounded by CSD risk factors. Future work should focus on numerous uncertainties associated with internal uranium dose estimation and on understanding biological pathway of CSD after protracted low-dose internal radiation exposure.
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Yiin JH, Anderson JL, Daniels RD, Bertke SJ, Fleming DA, Tollerud DJ, Tseng CY, Chen PH, Waters KM. Mortality in a combined cohort of uranium enrichment workers. Am J Ind Med 2017; 60:96-108. [PMID: 27753121 PMCID: PMC5708885 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the patterns of cause-specific mortality and relationship between internal exposure to uranium and specific causes in a pooled cohort of 29,303 workers employed at three former uranium enrichment facilities in the United States with follow-up through 2011. METHODS Cause-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for the full cohort were calculated with the U.S. population as referent. Internal comparison of the dose-response relation between selected outcomes and estimated organ doses was evaluated using regression models. RESULTS External comparison with the U.S. population showed significantly lower SMRs in most diseases in the pooled cohort. Internal comparison showed positive associations of absorbed organ doses with multiple myeloma, and to a lesser degree with kidney cancer. CONCLUSION In general, these gaseous diffusion plant workers had significantly lower SMRs than the U.S. POPULATION The internal comparison however, showed associations between internal organ doses and diseases associated with uranium exposure in previous studies. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:96-108, 2017. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- James H. Yiin
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Jeri L. Anderson
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Robert D. Daniels
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Stephen J. Bertke
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Donald A. Fleming
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - David J. Tollerud
- School of Public Health and Information Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
| | - Chih-Yu Tseng
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Pi-Hsueh Chen
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Kathleen M. Waters
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Anderson JL, Apostoaei AI, Yiin JH, Fleming DA, Tseng CY, Chen PH. Internal exposure to uranium in a pooled cohort of gaseous diffusion plant workers. RADIATION PROTECTION DOSIMETRY 2016; 168:471-7. [PMID: 26113578 PMCID: PMC4690811 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncv357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Intakes and absorbed organ doses were estimated for 29 303 workers employed at three former US gaseous diffusion plants as part of a study of cause-specific mortality and cancer incidence in uranium enrichment workers. Uranium urinalysis data (>600 000 urine samples) were available for 58 % of the pooled cohort. Facility records provided uranium gravimetric and radioactivity concentration data and allowed estimation of enrichment levels of uranium to which workers may have been exposed. Urine data were generally recorded with facility department numbers, which were also available in study subjects' work histories. Bioassay data were imputed for study subjects with no recorded sample results (33 % of pooled cohort) by assigning department average urine uranium concentration. Gravimetric data were converted to 24-h uranium activity excretion using department average specific activities. Intakes and organ doses were calculated assuming chronic exposure by inhalation to a 5-µm activity median aerodynamic diameter aerosol of soluble uranium. Median intakes varied between 0.31 and 0.74 Bq d(-1) for the three facilities. Median organ doses for the three facilities varied between 0.019 and 0.051, 0.68 and 1.8, 0.078 and 0.22, 0.28 and 0.74, and 0.094 and 0.25 mGy for lung, bone surface, red bone marrow, kidneys, and liver, respectively. Estimated intakes and organ doses for study subjects with imputed bioassay data were similar in magnitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeri L Anderson
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies (DSHEFS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 1090 Tusculum Ave., MS R-14., Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
| | | | - James H Yiin
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies (DSHEFS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 1090 Tusculum Ave., MS R-14., Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
| | - Donald A Fleming
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies (DSHEFS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 1090 Tusculum Ave., MS R-14., Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
| | - Chih-Yu Tseng
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies (DSHEFS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 1090 Tusculum Ave., MS R-14., Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
| | - Pi-Hsueh Chen
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies (DSHEFS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 1090 Tusculum Ave., MS R-14., Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
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Petejova N, Martinek A. Renal cell carcinoma: Review of etiology, pathophysiology and risk factors. Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub 2015; 160:183-94. [PMID: 26558360 DOI: 10.5507/bp.2015.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The global incidence of renal cell cancer is increasing annually and the causes are multifactorial. Early diagnosis and successful urological procedures with partial or total nephrectomy can be life-saving. However, only up to 10% of RCC patients present with characteristic clinical symptoms. Over 60% are detected incidentally in routine ultrasound examination. The question of screening and preventive measures greatly depends on the cause of the tumor development. For the latter reason, this review focuses on etiology, pathophysiology and risk factors for renal neoplasm. METHODS A literature search using the databases Medscape, Pubmed, UpToDate and EBSCO from 1945 to 2015. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Genetic predisposition/hereditary disorders, obesity, smoking, various nephrotoxic industrial chemicals, drugs and natural/manmade radioactivity all contribute and enviromental risks are a serious concern in terms of prevention and the need to screen populations at risk. Apropos treatment, current oncological research is directed to blocking cancer cell division and inhibiting angiogenesis based on a knowledge of molecular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadezda Petejova
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Ostrava, Czech Republic.,Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Arnost Martinek
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Ostrava, Czech Republic.,Department of Clinical Studies, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
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Sensitive Fibre-Based Thermoluminescence Detectors for High Resolution In-Vivo Dosimetry. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13309. [PMID: 26314683 PMCID: PMC4551967 DOI: 10.1038/srep13309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
With interest in the potential of optical fibres as the basis of next-generation thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs), the development of suitable forms of material and their fabrication has become a fast-growing endeavour. Present study focuses on three types of Ge-doped optical fibres with different structural arrangements and/or shapes, namely conventional cylindrical fibre, capillary fibre, and flat fibre, all fabricated using the same optical fibre preform. For doses from 0.5 to 8 Gy, obtained at electron and photon energies, standard thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics of the optical fibres have been the subject of detailed investigation. The results show that in collapsing the capillary fibre into a flat shape, the TL yield is increased by a factor of 5.5, the yield being also some 3.2 times greater than that of the conventional cylindrical fibre fabricated from the same perform. This suggests a means of production of suitably sensitive TLD for in-vivo dosimeter applications. Addressing the associated defects generating luminescence from each of the optical fibres, the study encompasses analysis of the TL glow curves, with computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) and 2nd order kinetics.
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Kreuzer M, Dufey F, Laurier D, Nowak D, Marsh JW, Schnelzer M, Sogl M, Walsh L. Mortality from internal and external radiation exposure in a cohort of male German uranium millers, 1946–2008. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2014; 88:431-41. [DOI: 10.1007/s00420-014-0973-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Zhivin S, Laurier D, Caër-Lorho S, Acker A, Guseva Canu I. Impact of chemical exposure on cancer mortality in a French cohort of uranium processing workers. Am J Ind Med 2013; 56:1262-71. [PMID: 24009194 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nuclear workers may be exposed to a variety of chemical hazards, in addition to radiation. We examined the effect of chemical exposures on cancer mortality among French uranium processing workers at the AREVA NC Pierrelatte facility. METHODS A cohort of 2,897 uranium processing workers employed for at least 6 months was followed from 1968 through 2006. Exposure to uranium and potentially carcinogenic chemicals was assessed with a plant-specific job-exposure matrix. Mortality hazard ratios (HRs) for cancers of the lung, lymphohematopoietic system, kidney and bladder, brain and central nervous system (BCNS), and prostate were estimated for each specific chemical exposure, with Cox regression models stratified for sex and calendar period and adjusted for socioeconomic status. Additional adjustments enabled us to examine the effect of co-exposure to uranium and other chemicals. RESULTS Exposure to aromatic solvents was associated with increased risk of BCNS malignancies after adjustment for other chemicals (HR=6.53, 95% CI=1.14-37.41; n=6) and for other chemicals and uranium (HR=7.26, 95% CI=0.90-58.19) in the annual exposure status model. Selected groups of lymphohematopoietic cancers were found associated with solvent exposure. Inconclusive results were found regarding chromium (VI) exposure, since only 2 workers died from lung cancer among 109 exposed. CONCLUSION Based on our pilot study, it seemed important to take into account chemical exposures in the analyses of cancer mortality among French uranium processing workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Zhivin
- Laboratoire d'Epidémioloeie; Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN); Fontenay-aux-Roses; France
| | - Dominique Laurier
- Laboratoire d'Epidémioloeie; Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN); Fontenay-aux-Roses; France
| | - Sylvaine Caër-Lorho
- Laboratoire d'Epidémioloeie; Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN); Fontenay-aux-Roses; France
| | - Alain Acker
- AREVA Group; Medical Coordination Section; Paris; France
| | - Irina Guseva Canu
- Laboratoire d'Epidémioloeie; Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN); Fontenay-aux-Roses; France
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14
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Silver SR, Bertke SJ, Hein MJ, Daniels RD, Fleming DA, Anderson JL, Pinney SM, Hornung RW, Tseng CY. Mortality and ionising radiation exposures among workers employed at the Fernald Feed Materials Production Center (1951-1985). Occup Environ Med 2013; 70:453-63. [PMID: 23322915 PMCID: PMC4553946 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2012-100768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine mortality patterns and dose-response relations between ionising radiation and mortality outcomes of a priori interest in 6409 uranium workers employed for at least 30 days (1951-1985), and followed through 2004. METHODS Cohort mortality was evaluated through standardised mortality ratios (SMR). Linear excess relative risk (ERR) regression models examined associations between cause-specific mortality and exposures to internal ionising radiation from uranium deposition, external gamma and x-ray radiation, and radon decay products, while adjusting for non-radiologic covariates. RESULTS Person-years at risk totalled 236 568 (mean follow-up 37 years), and 43% of the cohort had died. All-cause mortality was below expectation only in salaried workers. Cancer mortality was significantly elevated in hourly males, primarily from excess lung cancer (SMR=1.25, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.42). Cancer mortality in salaried males was near expectation, but lymphohaematopoietic malignancies were significantly elevated (SMR=1.52, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.12). A positive dose-response relation was observed for intestinal cancer, with a significant elevation in the highest internal organ dose category and a significant dose-response with organ dose from internal uranium deposition (ERR=1.5 per 100 μGy, 95% CI 0.12 to 4.1). CONCLUSIONS A healthy worker effect was observed only in salaried workers. Hourly workers had excess cancer mortality compared with the US population, although there was little evidence of a dose-response trend for any cancer evaluated except intestinal cancer. The association between non-malignant respiratory disease and radiation dose observed in previous studies was not apparent, possibly due to improved exposure assessment, different outcome groupings, and extended follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon R Silver
- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA.
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