Dosimetry for a Study of Low-Dose Radiation Cataracts among Chernobyl Clean-up Workers

Chumak, Vadim; Worgul, Basil V.; Kundiyev, Yu. I.; Sergiyenko, N. M.; Vitte, P. M.; Medvedovsky, C.; Bakhanova, Elena; Junk, Anna K.; Kyrychenko, O. Y.; Musijachenko, N. V.; Sholom, S.; Shylo, Sergiy; Vitte, O. P.; Xu, Su; Xue, Xiaonan; Shore, Roy E.

doi:10.1667/rr0302.1

Cited by 49 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 29 publications

(45 reference statements)

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“…However, from calculations and experimental simulations made by Osanov et al (1993b) as well as by clinical manifestations on the skin it should be concluded that beta doses of unprotected skin and even eye lenses (Osanov et al 1993b;Nossovsky and Krjuchkov 1996;Chumak et al 2007) had exceeded respective wholebody gamma doses, sometimes significantly. Time dependence of the beta dose contribution (beta/gamma dose ratio) has a pronounced maximum at a time about 1 y after the accident ) because several very short-lived radionuclides ( 140 Ba/La, 132 Te, and 131 I) are gamma emitters, while the main high-energy beta emitters ( 144 Ce/Pr and 106 Ru/Rh), which were significant for remote beta irradiation of the lens and skin, have a half-life of ϳ1 y.…”

Section: Monitoring Of Doses Other Than the External Whole-body Gammamentioning

confidence: 98%

Physical Dosimetry of Chernobyl Cleanup Workers

Chumak¹

2007

Health Physics

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This paper presents a critical review of dosimetric monitoring practices during Chernobyl cleanup from 1986 to 1990. Dosimetric monitoring is considered in time evolution with respect to legislative background (including dose limits), methods of dose assessment, and coverage of workers with radiation monitoring programs as well as availability of data on individual doses of liquidators. Four large independent dosimetry services (Administration of Construction No. 605, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Production Association "Combinat," and the troops) had operated in Chernobyl covering different cohorts of cleanup workers with dosimetric monitoring of variable quality and comprehension. Extremes in this range were presented by the highly professional dosimetry service of the Administration of Construction No. 605 (USSR Ministry of Medium Machinery), which had provided total coverage of workers with high quality individual thermoluminescent dosimeter monitoring, and military (troops of the USSR Ministry of Defense) who had received the least precise group dosimetry, which, however, had covered the whole population of military cleanup workers. The main groups of liquidators are considered from the point of view of completeness and quality of their dosimetric data. Main gaps in dosimetric data and limitations of existing dose records are identified. The issues of evolution of dose limits and problems of monitoring internal and beta exposure are considered from the point of view of significance of these components and the need for missing information.

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Section: Monitoring Of Doses Other Than the External Whole-body Gammamentioning

confidence: 98%

Physical Dosimetry of Chernobyl Cleanup Workers

Chumak¹

2007

Health Physics

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“…The details of the dosimetry aspects are provided in the companion paper (23). In brief, several groups of workers active on-site from April 26, 1986-December 31, 1987 were deemed suitable for inclusion in the study based on the initially available dosimetry information.…”

Section: Dosimetry and Study Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As described in ref. (23), bias corrections and uncertainty estimates based on available information were then applied, and the lens ␤-particle doses were estimated with their own uncertainties. The distribution of individual doses (␥ rays and ␤ particles combined) are plotted in Fig.…”

Section: Dosimetry and Study Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cataracts among Chernobyl Clean-up Workers: Implications Regarding Permissible Eye Exposures

Kundiyev²,

et al. 2007

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The eyes of a prospective cohort of 8,607 Chernobyl clean-up workers (liquidators) were assessed for cataract at 12 and 14 years after exposure. The prevalence of strictly age-related cataracts was low, as expected (only 3.9% had nuclear cataracts at either examination), since 90% of the cohort was younger than 55 years of age at first examination. However, posterior subcapsular or cortical cataracts characteristic of radiation exposure were present in 25% of the subjects. The data for Stage 1 cataracts, and specifically for posterior subcapsular cataracts, revealed a significant dose response. When various cataract end points were analyzed for dose thresholds, the confidence intervals all excluded values greater than 700 mGy. Linear-quadratic dose-response models yielded mostly linear associations, with weak evidence of upward curvature. The findings do not support the ICRP 60 risk guideline assumption of a 5-Gy threshold for "detectable opacities" from protracted exposures but rather point to a dose-effect threshold of under 1 Gy. Thus, given that cataract is the dose-limiting ocular pathology in current eye risk guidelines, revision of the allowable exposure of the human visual system to ionizing radiation should be considered.

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“…37 The highest tissue-averaged dose observed in the present study was 176 mGy (Table 3). Eye model fjl had the highest percentage of volume receiving in excess of doses 300 mGy, and no lens volume received a dose over 400 mGy ( Table 2).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%