|
International Collaborative Study of Cancer Risk among Radiation Workers in the Nuclear Industry
The International Collaborative Study of Cancer Risk among Radiation Workers in the Nuclear Industry is a retrospective cohort study of over 600 000 nuclear industry workers in seventeen countries. The objective of the study was to obtain precise direct estimates of the effects of low-dose protracted exposure to ionising radiation in order to assess the adequacy of radiation protection standards for environmental and occupational exposures. The specific purpose of the study is to provide data for comparison with the risk estimates derived from studies of persons having received high dose/high dose-rate exposures. This will provide a direct test of the adequacy of the extrapolation models used currently for radiation risk assessment and for the setting of radiation protection standards, and may assist in the construction of improved risk assessment models. The study was carried out in 17 countries using a common core protocol. The participating countries are: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Lithuania, the Russian Federation, Spain, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. A study of errors in recorded radiation dose estimates was carried out within the International Study. The major sources of systematic and random errors have been identified by facility, time period, dose level and, where relevant, activity. Experiments on the energy and geometry response of representative dosimeters have been carried out. Evaluations of average exposure conditions in different types of facility and periods have been carried out. As a result, the systematic errors related to exposure conditions and dosimetry technology have been quantified, and their uncertainty estimated (1), by facility and time period. A method has been developed to take these into account in the risk estimation process. The protocol and procedures document can be downloaded here. The study has been completed in all participating countries and results of the international combined data set have been published (2,3,4). A further follow-up of this international cohort is being planned at present. The International Study has been supported through grants from the Nuclear Fission Safety Programme of the European Commission, the US Centre for Disease Control, the Japanese Institute for Radiation Epidemiology and the Atomic Energy Control Board of Canada. References 1. Thierry-Chef I, Marshall M, Fix JJ, Bermann F, Gilbert ES, Hacker C, Heinmiller B, Murray W, Pearce MS, Utterback D, Bernar K, Deboodt P, Eklof M, Griciene B, Holan K, Hyvonen H, Kerekes A, Lee MC, Moser M, Pernicka F, Cardis E. |