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Masiuk S, Chepurny M, Buderatska V, Ivanova O, Boiko Z, Zhadan N, Hatch M, Cahoon EK, Zamotayeva G, Shpak V, Tronko M, Drozdovitch V. Assessment of internal exposure to 131I and short-lived radioiodine isotopes and associated uncertainties in the Ukrainian cohort of persons exposed in utero. JOURNAL OF RADIATION RESEARCH 2022; 63:364-377. [PMID: 35301522 PMCID: PMC9124623 DOI: 10.1093/jrr/rrac007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study revised the thyroid doses for 2582 Ukrainian in utero cohort members exposed to Chornobyl fallout (the Ukrainian in utero cohort) based on revision of: (i) 131I thyroid activity measured in the Ukrainian population, (ii) thyroid dosimetry system for entire Ukraine, and (iii) 131I ground deposition densities in Ukraine. Other major improvements included: (i) assessment of uncertainties in the thyroid doses considering shared and unshared error, and (ii) accounting for intake of short-lived radioisotopes of tellurium and iodine (132Te+132I and 133I). Intake of 131I was the major pathway for thyroid exposure, its median contribution to the thyroid dose was 97.4%. The mean prenatal and postnatal thyroid dose from 131I was 87 mGy (median = 17 mGy), higher than previous deterministic dose of 72 mGy (median = 12 mGy). For 39 individuals (1.5%) the dose exceeded 1.0 Gy, while the highest dose among the cohort members was 2.7 Gy. The geometric standard deviation (GSD) of 1000 individual stochastic doses varied from 1.9 to 5.2 with a mean of 3.1 and a median of 3.2. The lowest uncertainty (mean GSD = 2.3, median GSD = 2.2) was found for the subjects whose mothers were measured for 131I thyroid activity, while for individuals, whose mothers were not measured, the mean and median GSDs were 3.4. Uncertainties in thyroid doses were driven by shared errors associated with the parameters of the ecological model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergii Masiuk
- State Institution “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - Mykola Chepurny
- State Institution “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - Valentyna Buderatska
- State Institution “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - Olga Ivanova
- State Institution “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - Zulfira Boiko
- State Institution “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - Natalia Zhadan
- State Institution “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - Maureen Hatch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Cahoon
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Galyna Zamotayeva
- V.P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, 04114, Ukraine
| | - Victor Shpak
- V.P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, 04114, Ukraine
| | - Mykola Tronko
- V.P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, 04114, Ukraine
| | - Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Mitrakos D. Radiological impact and emergency zones for small iPWR with different approaches for source term calculation. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR ENERGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2022.104123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Drozdovitch V, Yauseyenka VV, Minenko VF, Veyalkin IV, Kukhta TS, Grakovitch RI, Trofimik S, Polyanskaya ON, Starastsenka L, Cahoon EK, Hatch M, Little MP, Brenner AV, Ostroumova E, Mabuchi K, Rozhko AV. THYROID SCREENING AND RELIABILITY OF RADIATION THYROID DOSES FOR THE BELARUSIAN IN UTERO COHORT. PROBLEMY RADIATSIINOI MEDYTSYNY TA RADIOBIOLOHII 2021; 26:188-198. [PMID: 34965548 PMCID: PMC9476699 DOI: 10.33145/2304-8336-2021-26-188-198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the status and results of thyroid disease screening and assessment of reliability of radiationthyroid doses in the Belarusian in utero cohort of 2,965 individuals exposed to Chernobyl (Chornobyl) fallout. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thyroid screening examinations are currently underway including thyroid palpation by anendocrinologist, ultrasonographic examination by an ultrasonographer and analysis of blood samples for diagnosisof hypo- and hyperthyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis, thyroid function tests (thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH],thyroxine [T4], thyroid peroxidase antibody [anti-TPO], and thyroglobulin antibodies [anti-TG]). Reliability of (i)information from 780 pairs of questionnaires obtained during the first and second interviews of the mothers and (ii)thyroid doses, which were calculated for the cohort members using this information, is evaluated. RESULTS As of 15 August 2021, 1,267 in utero exposed study subjects had been screened. A single thyroid nodule wasdiagnosed in 167 persons (13.2 % of the total) and multiple thyroid nodules in 101 persons (8.0 %): 189 (14.9 %)persons had nodules detected for the first time at the screening while 79 (6.2 %) persons had nodules detected pre-viously (pre-screening nodules). Fifty-nine out of 268 subjects (22.0 %) with a suspicious thyroid nodule werereferred to fine needle aspiration biopsy, and among them 33 (55.9 %) were biopsied. Reasonable agreement wasobserved for modelqbased doses calculated for the Belarusian in utero cohort members using data from the two inter-views (Spearman's rank-correlation coefficient rs = 0.74, p < 0.001), while measurementqbased doses yielded almost per-fect agreement (rs = 0.99, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS During the thyroid screening, at least one thyroid nodule was identified in 268 of 1,267 (21.2 %) inutero exposed cohort members. Seven thyroid cancer cases were identified in the cohort, including 5 pre-screeningcases and 2 cases detected during the screening. Ongoing research on this unique cohort will provide importantinformation on adverse health effects following prenatal and postnatal exposure to radioiodine and radiocesium iso-topes, for which available epidemiological data are scant.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Drozdovitch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - V V Yauseyenka
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, 290 Ilyicha Street, Gomel, 246040, Belarus
| | - V F Minenko
- Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, 11 Bobruiskaya Street, Minsk, 220006, Belarus
| | - I V Veyalkin
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, 290 Ilyicha Street, Gomel, 246040, Belarus
| | - T S Kukhta
- Joint Institute of Informatics Problems, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 6 Surhanava Street, Minsk, 220012, Belarus
| | - R I Grakovitch
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, 290 Ilyicha Street, Gomel, 246040, Belarus
| | - S Trofimik
- Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, 11 Bobruiskaya Street, Minsk, 220006, Belarus
| | - O N Polyanskaya
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, 290 Ilyicha Street, Gomel, 246040, Belarus
| | - L Starastsenka
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, 290 Ilyicha Street, Gomel, 246040, Belarus
| | - E K Cahoon
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - M Hatch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - M P Little
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - A V Brenner
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - E Ostroumova
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - K Mabuchi
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - A V Rozhko
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, 290 Ilyicha Street, Gomel, 246040, Belarus
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Masiuk S, Chepurny M, Buderatska V, Ivanova O, Boiko Z, Zhadan N, Fedosenko G, Bilonyk A, Kukush A, Lev T, Talerko M, Drozdovitch V. Thyroid doses in Ukraine due to 131I intake after the Chornobyl accident. Report II: dose estimates for the Ukrainian population. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2021; 60:591-609. [PMID: 34351497 PMCID: PMC8551045 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-021-00930-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes the revision of the thyroid dosimetry system in Ukraine using new, recently available data on (i) revised 131I thyroid activities derived from direct thyroid measurements done in May and June 1986 in 146,425 individuals; (ii) revised estimates of 131I ground deposition density in each Ukrainian settlement; and (iii) estimates of age- and gender-specific thyroid masses for the Ukrainian population. The revised dosimetry system estimates the thyroid doses for the residents of the settlements divided into three levels depending on the availability of measurements of 131I thyroid activity among their residents. Thyroid doses due to 131I intake were estimated in this study for different age and gender groups of residents of 30,353 settlements in 24 oblasts of Ukraine, Autonomous Republic Krym, and cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol. Among them, dose estimates for 835 settlements were based on 131I thyroid activities measured in more than ten residents (the first level), for 690 settlements based on such measurements done in neighboring settlements (the second level), and for 28,828 settlements based on a purely empirical relationship between the thyroid doses due to 131I intake and the cumulative 131I ground deposition densities in settlements (the third level). The arithmetic mean of the thyroid doses due to 131I intake among 146,425 measured individuals was 0.23 Gy (median of 0.094 Gy); about 99.8% of them received doses less than 5 Gy. The highest oblast-average population-weighted thyroid doses were estimated for residents of Chernihiv (0.15 Gy for arithmetic mean and 0.060 Gy for geometric mean), Kyiv (0.13 and 0.051 Gy) and Zhytomyr (0.12 and 0.049 Gy) Oblasts followed by Rivne (0.10 and 0.039 Gy) and Cherkasy (0.088 and 0.032 Gy) Oblasts, and Kyiv City (0.076 and 0.031 Gy). The geometric mean of thyroid doses estimated in this study for the entire Ukraine essentially did not change in comparison with a previous estimate, 0.020 vs. 0.021 Gy, respectively. The ratio of geometric mean of oblast-specific thyroid doses estimated in the present study to previously calculated doses varied from 0.51 to 3.9. The highest increase in thyroid doses was found in areas remote from the Chornobyl nuclear power plant with a low level of radioactive contamination: by 3.9 times for Zakarpatska Oblast, 3.5 times for Luhansk Oblasts and 2.9 times for Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. The developed thyroid dosimetry system is being used to revise the thyroid doses due to 131I intake for the individuals of post-Chornobyl radiation epidemiological studies: the Ukrainian-American cohort of individuals exposed during childhood and adolescence, the Ukrainian in utero cohort, and the Chornobyl Tissue Bank.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergii Masiuk
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Mykola Chepurny
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Valentyna Buderatska
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Olga Ivanova
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Zulfira Boiko
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Natalia Zhadan
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Galyna Fedosenko
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Andriy Bilonyk
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | | | - Tatiana Lev
- Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Mykola Talerko
- Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 7E548 MSC 9778, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9778, USA.
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Drozdovitch V, Minenko V, Kukhta T, Viarenich K, Trofimik S, Rogounovitch T, Nakayama T, Drozd V, Veyalkin I, Mitsutake N, Ostroumova E, Saenko V. Thyroid dose estimates for the genome-wide association study of thyroid cancer in persons exposed in Belarus to 131I after the Chernobyl accident. JOURNAL OF RADIATION RESEARCH 2021:rrab082. [PMID: 34536956 DOI: 10.1093/jrr/rrab082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The Chernobyl accident on 26 April 1986 led to a sharp increase in thyroid cancer (TC) incidence in the individuals exposed to radiation in childhood. The major risk factor for TC was exposure to Iodine-131 (131I). Here, we estimated the thyroid doses due to 131I intake for 2041 participants of the genome-wide association study of TC in Belarusian people exposed to radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl accident. The following parameter-values specially developed in this study were used to estimate individual thyroid doses: (i) scaling factors for adjustment of the model-based doses, (ii) age and gender diet to characterize 131I intake, and (iii) area-, age- and gender-specific S-values for the thyroid gland per 131I decay in the thyroid. The most reliable doses were calculated for 103 people with measured 131I thyroid activity (the arithmetic mean of 1.2 Gy, median 0.52 Gy), and 275 individuals with detailed residential history and dietary data (the arithmetic mean of 0.41 Gy, median 0.24 Gy). The arithmetic mean of thyroid doses among all study participants was 0.23 Gy (median 0.082 Gy); the highest individual dose was 9.0 Gy. Special attention was paid to the reliability and validity of the obtained estimates, in particular for the individuals without 131I thyroid activity measurements and individual data on residential history and diet, by comparing those with the doses from other post-Chernobyl epidemiological studies. Overall, the doses estimated in the current study were in reasonable agreement with previously reported thyroid doses. These doses will be used in the genome-wide association study of TC in people exposed in Belarus to 131I after the Chernobyl accident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Victor Minenko
- Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, Minsk, 220030, Belarus
| | - Tatiana Kukhta
- United Institute of Informatics Problems, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, 220012, Belarus
| | - Kiryl Viarenich
- Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, Minsk, 220030, Belarus
| | - Sergey Trofimik
- Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, Minsk, 220030, Belarus
| | - Tatiana Rogounovitch
- Department of Radiation Medical Sciences, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Takafumi Nakayama
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Valentina Drozd
- The International Fund "Help for Patients with Radiation-Induced Thyroid Cancer 'Arnica'", Minsk, 220005, Belarus
| | - Ilya Veyalkin
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, 246040, Belarus
| | - Norisato Mitsutake
- Department of Radiation Medical Sciences, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Evgenia Ostroumova
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, WHO, 69372, Lyon CEDEX 08, France
| | - Vladimir Saenko
- Department of Radiation Molecular Epidemiology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
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Masiuk S, Chepurny M, Buderatska V, Kukush A, Shklyar S, Ivanova O, Boiko Z, Zhadan N, Fedosenko G, Bilonyk A, Lev T, Talerko M, Kutsen S, Minenko V, Viarenich K, Drozdovitch V. Thyroid doses in Ukraine due to 131I intake after the Chornobyl accident. Report I: revision of direct thyroid measurements. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2021; 60:267-288. [PMID: 33661398 PMCID: PMC8119388 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-021-00896-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The increased risk of thyroid cancer among individuals exposed during childhood and adolescence to Iodine-131 (131I) is the main statistically significant long-term effect of the Chornobyl accident. Several radiation epidemiological studies have been carried out or are currently in progress in Ukraine, to assess the risk of radiation-related health effects in exposed populations. About 150,000 measurements of 131I thyroid activity, so-called 'direct thyroid measurements', performed in May-June 1986 in the Ukrainian population served as the main sources of data used to estimate thyroid doses to the individuals of these studies. However, limitations in the direct thyroid measurements have been recently recognized including improper measurement geometry and unknown true values of calibration coefficients for unchecked thyroid detectors. In the present study, a comparative analysis of 131I thyroid activity measured by calibrated and unchecked devices in residents of the same neighboring settlements was conducted to evaluate the correct measurement geometry and calibration coefficients for measuring devices. As a result, revised values of 131I thyroid activity were obtained. On average, in Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Lviv and Chernihiv Oblasts and in the city of Kyiv, the revised values of the 131I thyroid activities were found to be 10-25% higher than previously reported, while in Zhytomyr Oblast, the values of the revised activities were found to be lower by about 50%. New sources of shared and unshared errors associated with estimates of 131I thyroid activity were identified. The revised estimates of thyroid activity are recommended to be used to develop an updated Thyroid Dosimetry system (TD20) for the entire population of Ukraine as well as to revise the thyroid doses for the individuals included in post-Chornobyl radiation epidemiological studies: the Ukrainian-American cohort of individuals exposed during childhood and adolescence, the Ukrainian in utero cohort and the Chornobyl Tissue Bank.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergii Masiuk
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Mykola Chepurny
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Valentyna Buderatska
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | | | - Sergiy Shklyar
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Olga Ivanova
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Zulfira Boiko
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Natalia Zhadan
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Galyna Fedosenko
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Andriy Bilonyk
- State Institution "National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Tatiana Lev
- Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Mykola Talerko
- Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Semion Kutsen
- Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Victor Minenko
- Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Kiryl Viarenich
- Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 7E548 MSC 9778, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9778, USA.
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Morton LM, Karyadi DM, Stewart C, Bogdanova TI, Dawson ET, Steinberg MK, Dai J, Hartley SW, Schonfeld SJ, Sampson JN, Maruvka YE, Kapoor V, Ramsden DA, Carvajal-Garcia J, Perou CM, Parker JS, Krznaric M, Yeager M, Boland JF, Hutchinson A, Hicks BD, Dagnall CL, Gastier-Foster JM, Bowen J, Lee O, Machiela MJ, Cahoon EK, Brenner AV, Mabuchi K, Drozdovitch V, Masiuk S, Chepurny M, Zurnadzhy LY, Hatch M, Berrington de Gonzalez A, Thomas GA, Tronko MD, Getz G, Chanock SJ. Radiation-related genomic profile of papillary thyroid carcinoma after the Chernobyl accident. Science 2021; 372:science.abg2538. [PMID: 33888599 DOI: 10.1126/science.abg2538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident increased papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) incidence in surrounding regions, particularly for radioactive iodine (131I)-exposed children. We analyzed genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic characteristics of 440 PTCs from Ukraine (from 359 individuals with estimated childhood 131I exposure and 81 unexposed children born after 1986). PTCs displayed radiation dose-dependent enrichment of fusion drivers, nearly all in the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, and increases in small deletions and simple/balanced structural variants that were clonal and bore hallmarks of nonhomologous end-joining repair. Radiation-related genomic alterations were more pronounced for individuals who were younger at exposure. Transcriptomic and epigenomic features were strongly associated with driver events but not radiation dose. Our results point to DNA double-strand breaks as early carcinogenic events that subsequently enable PTC growth after environmental radiation exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay M Morton
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Danielle M Karyadi
- Laboratory of Genetic Susceptibility, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Chip Stewart
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Tetiana I Bogdanova
- Laboratory of Morphology of the Endocrine System, V. P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 04114, Ukraine
| | - Eric T Dawson
- Laboratory of Genetic Susceptibility, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.,Nvidia Corporation, Santa Clara, CA 95051, USA
| | - Mia K Steinberg
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jieqiong Dai
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Stephen W Hartley
- Laboratory of Genetic Susceptibility, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sara J Schonfeld
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Joshua N Sampson
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yosef E Maruvka
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Vidushi Kapoor
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Dale A Ramsden
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Juan Carvajal-Garcia
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Charles M Perou
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Joel S Parker
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Marko Krznaric
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, London W6 8RF, UK
| | - Meredith Yeager
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Joseph F Boland
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Amy Hutchinson
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Belynda D Hicks
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Casey L Dagnall
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Julie M Gastier-Foster
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Biospecimen Core Resource, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Departments of Pathology and Pediatrics, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jay Bowen
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Biospecimen Core Resource, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Olivia Lee
- Laboratory of Genetic Susceptibility, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mitchell J Machiela
- Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Cahoon
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alina V Brenner
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - Kiyohiko Mabuchi
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sergii Masiuk
- Radiological Protection Laboratory, Institute of Radiation Hygiene and Epidemiology, National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 04050, Ukraine
| | - Mykola Chepurny
- Radiological Protection Laboratory, Institute of Radiation Hygiene and Epidemiology, National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 04050, Ukraine
| | - Liudmyla Yu Zurnadzhy
- Laboratory of Morphology of the Endocrine System, V. P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 04114, Ukraine
| | - Maureen Hatch
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Amy Berrington de Gonzalez
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gerry A Thomas
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, London W6 8RF, UK
| | - Mykola D Tronko
- Department of Fundamental and Applied Problems of Endocrinology, V. P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 04114, Ukraine
| | - Gad Getz
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.,Center for Cancer Research and Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stephen J Chanock
- Laboratory of Genetic Susceptibility, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Loganovsky KM, Talko VV, Kaminskyi OV, Afanasyev DE, Masiuk SV, Loganovskaya TK, Lavrenchuk GY. NEUROENDOCRINE EFFECTS OF PRENATAL IRRADIATION FROM RADIOACTIVE IODINE (review). PROBLEMY RADIAT︠S︡IĬNOÏ MEDYT︠S︡YNY TA RADIOBIOLOHIÏ 2020; 24:20-58. [PMID: 31841457 DOI: 10.33145/2304-8336-2019-24-20-52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroendocrine effects of the prenatal radiation exposure from radioactive iodine in an event of nuclear power reactor accidents are a key issue in the field of radiation medicine and radiation safety because of a dramatic radiosensitivity of the developing organism. OBJECTIVE Review of contemporary epidemiological, clinical and experimental data on neuroendocrine effects of prenatal exposure to 131I. OBJECT AND METHODS Search in the PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar abstract databases, along with a manual search for the relevant data sources. RESULTS Estimated absorbed doses of intrauterine thyroid irradiation from radioactive iodine were obtained based on ICRP Publication 88, both with estimates of effective radiation doses on embryo and fetus, and estimates of the brain equivalent doses upon exposure in utero. The latter ones are subject to updating. The evidence-based data has been presented regarding a radiation-associated reduction of head and chest circumference at birth, as well as a radiation-associated excess of goiter with large thyroid nodules, and possibly of thyroid cancer after a prenatal exposure to 131I radionuclides. Data on intrauterine brain damage are controversial, but most researchers share the view that there are cognitive and emotional-behavioral disorders due to prenatal and postnatal irradiation and psy- chosocial impacts. Incidence increase of non-cancerous endocrine disorders and degenerative vascular disease of retina was noted. An experimental model of intrauterine irradiation from 131I on Wistar rats was for the first time ever created, extrapolating the radioneuroembryological effects in rats to individuals prenatally exposed after the Chornobyl disaster. Late neuropsychiatric and endocrine effects may be resulted from the relatively short-term impact of ionizing radiation at a level previously been considered safe. The necessity of neuropsychiatric and endocrinological monitoring of individuals exposed prenatally to ionizing radiation after the Chornobyl catastrophe throughout their life is substantiated. Experimental animal studies are a key direction in the further research of radiation effects, especially associated with low radiation doses. Further experimental and clinical neuroradiobio- logical studies aimed at exploration of the effect of ionizing radiation on hippocampal neurogenesis are most rele- vant nowadays.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Loganovsky
- State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine», 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - V V Talko
- State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine», 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - O V Kaminskyi
- State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine», 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - D E Afanasyev
- State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine», 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - S V Masiuk
- State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine», 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - T K Loganovskaya
- State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine», 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - G Y Lavrenchuk
- State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine», 53 Yuriia Illienka St., Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
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9
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Yauseyenka V, Drozdovitch V, Ostroumova E, Polyanskaya O, Minenko V, Brenner A, Hatch M, Little MP, Cahoon EK, Kukhta T, Starastsenka L, Grakovitch R, Cheshik A, Veyalkin I, Rozhko A, Mabuchi K. Belarusian in utero cohort: A new opportunity to evaluate the health effects of prenatal and early-life exposure to ionising radiation. JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION 2020; 40:280-295. [PMID: 31770737 PMCID: PMC9425727 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/ab5c08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In April 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear accident resulted in wide-scale contamination of Belarus with significantly elevated levels of radioiodine isotopes, mainly iodine-131 (131I), and long-lived radiocaesium isotopes, mainly caesium-137 (137Cs). Various groups of the population were affected by exposure to ionising radiation, including pregnant women and their foetuses. This paper describes the methods and results related to the establishment of a cohort of 2965 Belarusian people exposed in utero due to Chernobyl fallout. The cohort consists of individuals whose mothers resided in the most radioactively contaminated areas in Belarus at the time of the accident. Prenatal and postnatal doses to the thyroid due to intake of 131I, external irradiation and ingestion of radiocaesium isotopes were estimated for all cohort members. Ongoing research on this unique cohort will provide important information on adverse health effects following prenatal and postnatal exposure to radioiodine and radiocaesium isotopes, for which available epidemiological data are scant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasilina Yauseyenka
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Evgenia Ostroumova
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Current affiliation is: International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Olga Polyanskaya
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Victor Minenko
- Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Alina Brenner
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Current affiliation is: Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Maureen Hatch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mark P. Little
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth K. Cahoon
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tatiana Kukhta
- United Institute of Informatics Problems, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Liliya Starastsenka
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Rimma Grakovitch
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Andrey Cheshik
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Ilya Veyalkin
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Alexander Rozhko
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Kiyohiko Mabuchi
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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10
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Drozdovitch V, Minenko V, Kukhta T, Trofimik S, Grakovitch R, Hatch M, Cahoon E, Veyalkin I, Polyanskaya O, Yauseyenka V, Ostroumova E, Mabuchi K, Rozhko A. Thyroid Dose Estimates for a Cohort of Belarusian Persons Exposed in Utero and During Early Life to Chernobyl Fallout. HEALTH PHYSICS 2020; 118:170-184. [PMID: 31869316 PMCID: PMC6931907 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0000000000001135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Thyroid radiation doses were estimated for a cohort of 2,965 Belarusian persons who were exposed in utero and during early life to fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. Prenatal and postnatal doses to the thyroid due to intake of I, external irradiation from radionuclides deposited on the ground, and ingestion of cesium isotopes (Cs and Cs) were calculated for all cohort members. Dose estimation was based on personal interviews with subjects' mothers; the interviews collected data on subjects' residential history, consumption by mothers during time of pregnancy and breast-feeding, as well as consumption by subjects after birth. Direct instrumental measurements of radioactivity in mothers and the study subjects, if available, were also used for calculation of doses. Intake of I by mothers was found to be the predominant pathway for thyroid exposure for the study subjects. The average thyroid dose due to all exposure pathways was estimated to be 137 mGy (median dose of 25 mGy, maximal dose of 14.8 Gy), including 130 mGy (median dose of 17 mGy, maximal dose of 14.8 Gy) from I intake, 4.9 mGy (median dose of 3.0 mGy, maximal dose of 102 mGy) due to external irradiation, and 2.5 mGy (median dose of 1.7 mGy, maximal dose of 47 mGy) due to ingestion of Cs. The dose estimates will be used to evaluate the radiation-related risk of thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases in this unique cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Victor Minenko
- Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Tatiana Kukhta
- United Institute of Informatics Problems, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Sergey Trofimik
- Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarusian State University, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Rimma Grakovitch
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Maureen Hatch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elizabeth Cahoon
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Iliya Veyalkin
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Olga Polyanskaya
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Vasilina Yauseyenka
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
| | - Evgenia Ostroumova
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Current affiliation is: International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Kiyohiko Mabuchi
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alexander Rozhko
- Republican Research Center for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology, Gomel, Belarus
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11
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Drozdovitch V. Radiation Exposure to the Thyroid After the Chernobyl Accident. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:569041. [PMID: 33469445 PMCID: PMC7813882 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.569041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Chernobyl accident resulted in a considerable release of radioactivity to the atmosphere, particularly of Iodine-131 (131I), with the greatest contamination occurring in Belarus, Ukraine, and western part of Russia. MATERIAL AND METHODS Increase in thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases incidence in population exposed to Chernobyl fallout in these counties was the major health effect of the accident. Therefore, a lot of attention was paid to the thyroid doses, mainly, the 131I intake during two months after the accident. This paper reviews thyroid doses, both the individual for the subjects of radiation epidemiological studies and population-average doses. Exposure to 131I intake and other exposure pathways to population of affected regions and the Chernobyl cleanup workers (liquidators) are considered. RESULTS Individual thyroid doses due to 131I intake varied up to 42 Gy and depended on the age of the person, the region where a person was exposed, and their cow's milk consumption habits. Population-average thyroid doses among children of youngest age reached up to 0.75 Gy in the most contaminated area, the Gomel Oblast, in Belarus. Intake of 131I was the main pathway of exposure to the thyroid gland; its mean contribution to the thyroid dose in affected regions was more than 90%. The mean thyroid dose from inhalation of 131I for early Chernobyl cleanup workers was estimated to be 0.18 Gy. Individual thyroid doses due to different exposure pathways varied among 1,137 cleanup workers included in the epidemiological studies up to 9 Gy. Uncertainties associated with dose estimates, in terms of mean geometric standard deviation of individual stochastic doses, varied in range from 1.6 for doses based on individual-radiation measurements to 2.6 for "modelled" doses. CONCLUSION The 131I was the most radiologically important radionuclide that resulted in radiation exposure to the thyroid gland and cause an increase in the of rate of thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases in population exposed after the Chernobyl accident.
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12
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Hatch M, Brenner AV, Cahoon EK, Drozdovitch V, Little MP, Bogdanova T, Shpak V, Bolshova E, Zamotayeva G, Terekhova G, Shelkovoy E, Klochkova V, Mabuchi K, Tronko M. Thyroid Cancer and Benign Nodules After Exposure In Utero to Fallout From Chernobyl. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019; 104:41-48. [PMID: 30445441 PMCID: PMC6456983 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2018-00847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children and adolescents exposed to radioactive iodine-131 (I-131) in fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident appear to be at increased risk of thyroid cancer and benign thyroid nodules. The prenatal period is also considered radiosensitive, and the fetal thyroid can absorb I-131 from the maternal circulation. OBJECTIVES We aimed to estimate the risk of malignant and benign thyroid nodules in individuals exposed prenatally. METHODS We studied a cohort of 2582 subjects in Ukraine with estimates of I-131 prenatal thyroid dose (mean = 72.6 mGy), who underwent two standardized thyroid screening examinations. To evaluate the dose-response relationship, we estimated the excess OR (EOR) using logistic regression. RESULTS Based on a combined total of eight cases diagnosed at screenings from 2003 to 2006 and 2012 to 2015, we found a markedly elevated, albeit not statistically significant, dose-related risk of thyroid cancer (EOR/Gy = 3.91, 95% CI: -1.49, 65.66). At cycle 2 (n = 1,786), there was a strong and significant association between I-131 thyroid dose and screen-detected large benign nodules (≥10 mm) (EOR/Gy = 4.19, 95% CI: 0.68, 11.62; P = 0.009), but no significant increase in risk for small nodules (<10 mm) (EOR/Gy = 0.34, 95% CI: -0.67, 2.24; P = 0.604). CONCLUSIONS The dose effect by nodule size, with I-131 risk for large but not small nodules, is similar to that among exposed children and adolescents in Belarus. Based on a small number of cases, there is also a suggestive effect of I-131 dose on thyroid cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Hatch
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
- Correspondence and Reprint Requests: Maureen Hatch, PhD, Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892. E-mail:
| | - Alina V Brenner
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Elizabeth K Cahoon
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Mark P Little
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Victor Shpak
- Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Elena Bolshova
- Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kiev, Ukraine
| | | | | | | | | | - Kiyohiko Mabuchi
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Mykola Tronko
- Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kiev, Ukraine
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13
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Hatch M, Little MP, Brenner AV, Cahoon EK, Tereshchenko V, Chaikovska L, Pasteur I, Likhtarov I, Bouville A, Shpak V, Bolshova O, Zamotayeva G, Grantz K, Sun L, Mabuchi K, Albert P, Tronko M. Neonatal outcomes following exposure in utero to fallout from Chernobyl. Eur J Epidemiol 2017; 32:1075-1088. [PMID: 28856527 PMCID: PMC10433445 DOI: 10.1007/s10654-017-0299-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Iodine 131 (I-131), the principal component of nuclear fallout from the Chernobyl accident, concentrates in the thyroid gland and may pose risks to fetal development. To evaluate this, neonatal outcomes following the accident in April of 1986 were investigated in a cohort of 2582 in utero-exposed individuals from northern Ukraine for whom estimates of fetal thyroid I-131 dose were available. We carried out a retrospective review of cohort members' prenatal, delivery and newborn records. The relationships of dose with neonatal anthropometrics and gestational length were modeled via linear regression with adjustment for potentially confounding variables. We found similar, statistically significant dose-dependent reductions in both head circumference (-1.0 cm/Gy, P = 0.005) and chest circumference (-0.9 cm/Gy, P = 0.023), as well as a similar but non-significant reduction in neonatal length (-0.6 cm/Gy, P = 0.169). Gestational length was significantly increased with increasing fetal dose (0.5 wks/Gy, P = 0.007). There was no significant (P > 0.1) effect of fetal dose on birth weight. The observed associations of radioiodine exposure with decreased head and chest circumference are consistent with those observed in the Japanese in utero-exposed atomic bomb survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Hatch
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 7E-508, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9778, USA.
| | - Mark P Little
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 7E-508, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9778, USA
| | - Alina V Brenner
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 7E-508, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9778, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Cahoon
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 7E-508, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9778, USA
| | | | | | - Igor Pasteur
- Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Ilya Likhtarov
- Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Andre Bouville
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 7E-508, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9778, USA
| | - Victor Shpak
- Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Olena Bolshova
- Division of Dosimetry and Radiation Hygiene, Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Galyna Zamotayeva
- Division of Dosimetry and Radiation Hygiene, Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Katherine Grantz
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Liping Sun
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kiyohiko Mabuchi
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 7E-508, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9778, USA
| | - Paul Albert
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mykola Tronko
- Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kiev, Ukraine
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Samet JM, Berrington de González A, Dauer LT, Hatch M, Kosti O, Mettler FA, Satyamitra MM. Gilbert W. Beebe Symposium on 30 Years after the Chernobyl Accident: Current and Future Studies on Radiation Health Effects. Radiat Res 2017; 189:5-18. [PMID: 29136393 DOI: 10.1667/rr14791.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
This commentary summarizes the presentations and discussions from the 2016 Gilbert W. Beebe symposium "30 years after the Chernobyl accident: Current and future studies on radiation health effects." The symposium was hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies). The symposium focused on the health consequences of the Chernobyl accident, looking retrospectively at what has been learned and prospectively at potential future discoveries using emerging 21st Century research methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Samet
- a Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | | | | | | | - Ourania Kosti
- d National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Fred A Mettler
- e University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Drozdovitch V, Chumak V, Kesminiene A, Ostroumova E, Bouville A. Doses for post-Chernobyl epidemiological studies: are they reliable? JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION 2016; 36:R36-R73. [PMID: 27355439 PMCID: PMC9426290 DOI: 10.1088/0952-4746/36/3/r36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
On 26 April 2016, thirty years will have elapsed since the occurrence of the Chernobyl accident, which has so far been the most severe in the history of the nuclear reactor industry. Numerous epidemiological studies were conducted to evaluate the possible health consequences of the accident. Since the credibility of the association between the radiation exposure and health outcome is highly dependent on the adequacy of the dosimetric quantities used in these studies, this paper makes an effort to overview the methods used to estimate individual doses and the associated uncertainties in the main analytical epidemiological studies (i.e. cohort or case-control) related to the Chernobyl accident. Based on the thorough analysis and comparison with other radiation studies, the authors conclude that individual doses for the Chernobyl analytical epidemiological studies have been calculated with a relatively high degree of reliability and well-characterized uncertainties, and that they compare favorably with many other non-Chernobyl studies. The major strengths of the Chernobyl studies are: (1) they are grounded on a large number of measurements, either performed on humans or made in the environment; and (2) extensive effort has been invested to evaluate the uncertainties associated with the dose estimates. Nevertheless, gaps in the methodology are identified and suggestions for the possible improvement of the current dose estimates are made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Drozdovitch
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vadim Chumak
- National Research Centre for Radiation Medicine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | | | | | - André Bouville
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Retired
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Michel LA, Donckier J, Rosière A, Fervaille C, Lemaire J, Bertrand C. Post-Chernobyl incidence of papillary thyroid cancer among Belgian children less than 15 years of age in April 1986: a 30-year surgical experience. Acta Chir Belg 2016; 116:101-13. [PMID: 27385297 DOI: 10.1080/00015458.2016.1165528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We raised the question of a possible relationship in Belgium between the occurrence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and age of children (<15 years) at the time of the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident in April 1986. SETTING Referral university centre for endocrine surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty-year prospective study of the experience of a surgical team with PTC since the Chernobyl accident, taken out of 2349 patients operated on for any thyroid lesions from April 1986 to April 2015, comparing the incidence of PTC by age groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT Comparison of PTC incidence in patients >15 years (group A) and children <15 years (group B) in April 1986. RESULTS Out of a total of 2349 patients having undergone thyroid surgery for all types of lesions during 30 year after Chernobyl and born before April 1986, 2164 were >15 years of age at the time of the nuclear accident (group A) and 175 developed PTC (8.1%) compared to 36 PTC (19.5%) that occurred in 185 children <15 years of age (group B) in April 1986 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Radiation exposure affected residents of countries (including Belgium) well beyond Ukraine and Belarus. This was demonstrated by a 1990 meteorological report. Over 30 years, there has been a persistent higher incidence of PTC among Belgian children below the age of 15 years at the time of the Chernobyl accident. This relationship with age has even been strengthened by the implementation of more sophisticated immunohistochemical biomarkers diagnostic technology since April 2011.
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Contis G, Foley TP. Depression, suicide ideation, and thyroid tumors among ukrainian adolescents exposed as children to chernobyl radiation. J Clin Med Res 2015; 7:332-8. [PMID: 25780482 PMCID: PMC4356094 DOI: 10.14740/jocmr2018w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Chernobyl Childhood Illness Program (CCIP) was a humanitarian assistance effort funded by the United States Congress. Its purpose was to assist the Ukrainian Government to identify and treat adolescents who developed mental and physical problems following their exposure as young children to Chernobyl radiation. Thirteen years after the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident in 1986, the CCIP examined 116,655 Ukrainian adolescents for thyroid diseases. Of these, 115,191 were also screened for depression, suicide ideation, and psychological problems. The adolescents lived in five of Ukraine’s seven most Chernobyl radiation contaminated provinces. They were up to 6 years of age or in utero when exposed to nuclear fallout, or were born up to 45 months after Chernobyl. Methods Ukrainian endocrinologist and ultrasonographers used physical examination and ultrasonography of the neck to evaluate the adolescents for thyroid tumors. The adolescents were then screened for depression by the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). After this, Ukrainian psychologists conducted individual psychological interviews to corroborate the adolescents’ CDI responses. Results Papillary thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed in eight adolescents, a high prevalence rate similar to that reported by other studies from the Soviet Union. Screening identified thyroid nodules in 1,967 adolescents (1.7%). Depression was diagnosed in 15,399 adolescents (13.2%), suicide ideation in 813 (5.3%), and attempted suicide in 354 (2.3%). Underlying components of the participants’ depression were negative mood, interpersonal difficulties, negative self-esteem, ineffectiveness, and anhedonia. Depression was greater in females (77%). Those with thyroid and psychological problems were referred for treatment. Conclusions The adolescents screened by CCIP represent the largest Ukrainian cohort exposed to Chernobyl radiation as children who were evaluated for both thyroid tumors and depression. The group had an increased prevalence of thyroid cancer, thyroid tumors, depression, and suicide ideation. CCIP demonstrated that psychological problems among Chernobyl exposed adolescents began earlier in life than previously reported. They also experienced socioeconomic problems from their relocation from radiation-affected areas and from the Soviet’s inadequate responses to their health needs. CCIP’s findings underscore the requirement that governments prepare plans to deal promptly with the diagnosis and treatment of nuclear accident victims’ medical and psychological problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Contis
- Medical Service Corporation International, 2000 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22201, USA
| | - Thomas P Foley
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Box 38472, Pittsburgh, PA 15238, USA
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McKenna T, Welter PV, Callen J, Martincic R, Dodd B, Kutkov V. Tools for placing the radiological health hazard in perspective following a severe emergency at a light water reactor (LWR) or its spent fuel pool. HEALTH PHYSICS 2015; 108:15-31. [PMID: 25437516 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0000000000000157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Experience from past nuclear and radiological emergencies shows that placing the radiological health hazard in perspective and having a definition of "safe" are required in order to prevent members of the public, those responsible for protecting the public (i.e., decision makers), and others from taking inappropriate and damaging actions that are not justified based on the radiological health hazard. The principle concerns of the public during a severe nuclear power plant or spent fuel pool emergency are "Am I safe?" and "What should I do to be safe?" However, these questions have not been answered to the satisfaction of the public, despite various protective actions being implemented to ensure their safety. Instead, calculated doses or various measured quantities (e.g., ambient dose rate or radionuclide concentrations) are used to describe the situation to the public without placing them into perspective in terms of the possible radiological health hazard, or if they have, it has been done incorrectly. This has contributed to members of the public taking actions that do more harm than good in the belief that they are protecting themselves. Based on established international guidance, this paper provides a definition of "safe" for the radiological health hazard for use in nuclear or radiological emergencies and a system for putting the radiological health hazard in perspective for quantities most commonly measured after a release resulting from a severe emergency at a light water reactor or its spent fuel pool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas McKenna
- *Incident and Emergency Centre, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramerstrasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria; †Brian Dodd Consulting, 10313 Cogswell Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89134-5209
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Neta G, Hatch M, Kitahara CM, Ostroumova E, Bolshova EV, Tereschenko VP, Tronko MD, Brenner AV. In utero exposure to iodine-131 from Chernobyl fallout and anthropometric characteristics in adolescence. Radiat Res 2014; 181:293-301. [PMID: 24611659 DOI: 10.1667/rr13304.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to external radiation has been linked to growth retardation among atomic bomb survivors in adolescence. It is unclear from previous studies whether in utero exposure to internal radiation such as iodine-131 (I-131), which concentrates in the thyroid gland, has an effect on physical growth. We examined the associations between estimated thyroid gland dose from prenatal exposure to I-131 and self-reported height and weight in a cohort of 2,460 individuals exposed to radioactive fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident [mean I-131 dose = 72 (mGy)] and screened for thyroid diseases in adolescence. Using multivariable linear regression models, we estimated the mean differences in height, weight and body mass index (BMI) per unit increase in dose (100 mGy) in models adjusted for gender, age at examination, type of residence (rural/urban) and presence of thyroid disease diagnosed at screening. All of the adjustment factors as well as the trimester of exposure were evaluated as potential modifiers of the dose response. Overall, no significant dose response was found for height (P = 0.29), weight (P = 0.14) or BMI (P = 0.16). We found significant modification of the dose response for weight and BMI by presence/absence of thyroid disease (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively), but not for other factors. In individuals without thyroid disease (n = 1,856), there was a weak, significant association between I-131 thyroid dose and higher weight (210 g per 100 mGy, P = 0.02) or BMI (70 g/m² per 100 mGy, P = 0.02) that depended on individuals (n = 52) exposed to ≥500 mGy. In individuals with thyroid disease (n = 579, 67.4% with simple diffuse goiter) no significant association with I-131 for weight (P = 0.14) or BMI (P = 0.14) was found. These results do not support the hypothesis that in utero exposure to I-131 at levels experienced by a majority of study subjects may be associated with meaningful differences in adolescent anthropometry. However, additional studies are needed to clarify whether in utero exposure to I-131 at levels > = 500 mGy may be associated with increases in weight/BMI and to evaluate the confounding or modifying role of thyroid disease, past iodine deficiency, maternal and prenatal/postnatal factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gila Neta
- a Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Steinhauser G, Brandl A, Johnson TE. Comparison of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents: a review of the environmental impacts. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 470-471:800-17. [PMID: 24189103 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 430] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Revised: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 10/08/2013] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The environmental impacts of the nuclear accidents of Chernobyl and Fukushima are compared. In almost every respect, the consequences of the Chernobyl accident clearly exceeded those of the Fukushima accident. In both accidents, most of the radioactivity released was due to volatile radionuclides (noble gases, iodine, cesium, tellurium). However, the amount of refractory elements (including actinides) emitted in the course of the Chernobyl accident was approximately four orders of magnitude higher than during the Fukushima accident. For Chernobyl, a total release of 5,300 PBq (excluding noble gases) has been established as the most cited source term. For Fukushima, we estimated a total source term of 520 (340-800) PBq. In the course of the Fukushima accident, the majority of the radionuclides (more than 80%) was transported offshore and deposited in the Pacific Ocean. Monitoring campaigns after both accidents reveal that the environmental impact of the Chernobyl accident was much greater than of the Fukushima accident. Both the highly contaminated areas and the evacuated areas are smaller around Fukushima and the projected health effects in Japan are significantly lower than after the Chernobyl accident. This is mainly due to the fact that food safety campaigns and evacuations worked quickly and efficiently after the Fukushima accident. In contrast to Chernobyl, no fatalities due to acute radiation effects occurred in Fukushima.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Steinhauser
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States.
| | - Alexander Brandl
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
| | - Thomas E Johnson
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
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Likhtarov I, Thomas G, Kovgan L, Masiuk S, Chepurny M, Ivanova O, Gerasymenko V, Tronko M, Bogdanova T, Bouville A. Reconstruction of individual thyroid doses to the Ukrainian subjects enrolled in the Chernobyl Tissue Bank. RADIATION PROTECTION DOSIMETRY 2013; 156:407-423. [PMID: 23595409 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/nct096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The Chernobyl Tissue Bank (CTB) is an organisation that collects and stores samples of tumoral thyroid tissue obtained from Ukrainian and Russian subjects who were treated surgically for a thyroid cancer and had been exposed to (131)I from the Chernobyl accident. By 2012, the CTB had collected specimens of thyroid tissue from 2267 residents of Ukraine for the purpose of radiation research. Arithmetic mean thyroid doses and uncertainties have been estimated for all but 24 subjects for whom residence at the time of exposure was not found. The subjects have been classified into six groups or sub-groups according to the type of dosimetry-related information that is available for each of them. Excluding the 325 subjects with negligible radiation exposure, the arithmetic mean of the thyroid dose over all subjects is estimated as 0.4 Gy, with individual values ranging from <1 mGy to 13 Gy. The uncertainties in the individual thyroid dose estimates, characterised by the geometric standard deviations of their probability distributions, range from 1.3 to 8.7, with an arithmetic mean of 3.2.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Likhtarov
- State Institution 'National Research Centre for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine', 53 Melnykova Street, Kyiv 04050, Ukraine
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Cardis E, Hatch M. The Chernobyl accident--an epidemiological perspective. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 2011; 23:251-60. [PMID: 21396807 PMCID: PMC3107017 DOI: 10.1016/j.clon.2011.01.510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2011] [Accepted: 01/28/2011] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Twenty-five years have passed since radioactive releases from the Chernobyl nuclear accident led to the exposure of millions of people in Europe. Studies of affected populations have provided important new data on the links between radiation and cancer-particularly the risk of thyroid tumours from exposure to iodine isotopes-that are important not only for a fuller scientific understanding of radiation effects, but also for radiation protection. It is now well documented that children and adolescents exposed to radioiodines from Chernobyl fallout have a sizeable dose-related increase in thyroid cancer, with the risk greatest in those youngest at exposure and with a suggestion that deficiency in stable iodine may increase the risk. Data on thyroid cancer risks to other age groups are somewhat less definitive. In addition, there have been reported increases in incidence and mortality from non-thyroid cancers and non-cancer end points. Although some studies are difficult to interpret because of methodological limitations, recent investigations of Chernobyl clean-up workers ('liquidators') have provided evidence of increased risks of leukaemia and other haematological malignancies and of cataracts, and suggestions of an increase in the risk of cardiovascular diseases, following low doses and low dose rates of radiation. Further careful follow-up of these populations, including the establishment and long-term support of life-span study cohorts, could provide additional important information for the quantification of radiation risks and the protection of persons exposed to low doses of radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Cardis
- Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Barcelona, Spain.
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