Mortality of Uranium Miners in Relation to Radiation Exposure, Hard-rock Mining and Cigarette Smoking-1950 Through September 1967

Abstract

A mortality study was made of a group of 3414 white underground uranium miners. There were 398deaths observed vs. 25 1 deaths expected on the basis of rates for thewhile male population of the area. Violent deaths (120 vs. 50.5 expected) and malignant neoplasms of the respiratory system (62 vs. 10 expected) largely accounted for the excess. Most of the respiratory cancer deaths occurred 10 or more years after the individual first mined uranium. KO excess occurred in the first 5 yr after start of mining. The person years of followup were divided into six cumulative exposure levels. At each level of estimated radiation exposure, a significant excess of respiratory cancer has now been observed. Beginning with the 840-1799 WLM category, the excess of respiratory cancer deaths was markedly progressive with increasing exposure. Below 840 WLM, the excess has occurred equally among 3 exposure groups. Prior hard-rock mining had little overall effect on lung cancer mortality, but might have contributed to the excess among the two lowest exposure categories. It is estimated that smoking uranium miners experienced an excess of lung cancer 10 times grcater than did non-smoking miners. While smoking alone could not explain the marked excess of lung cancer, the data suggested that uranium miners should not smoke.

Childhood cancer mortality and radon concentration in drinking water in North Carolina

“…Although studies have documented a significant and dosedependent excess of lung cancer in radon-exposed miners (Lundin et al, 1969;Radford & Renard, 1984;Saccomano et al, 1986) and projected substantial risks due to cumulative residential radon exposure (BIER IV 1988), evidence of effects from residential exposure is inconsistent. Several studies have suggested increased lung cancer risk related to indoor radon exposure (Axelson et al, 1979;Axelson et al, 1988;Edling et al, 1984;Svensson et al, 1987;Svensson et al, 1989;Lees et al, 1987;Schoenberg et al, 1989).…”

Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Susceptibility to Lung Cancer

“…To explain the dramatic smoker/nonsmoker differential for asbestos workers [45, 46| or uranium miners [31] by the habit-canccr linkage theory would require not only the tendency to smoke, but the ten dency to work in a particular industry to be linked to the tendency to develop lung cancer.…”

Les recommandations de la C.I.P.R. Application au cas particulier des mines d’uranium

“…Le problème revêtait pourtant un caractère particulièrement important car, de longue date, on a observé une augmentation significative des carcinomes pulmonaires parmi les mineurs d'uranium, principalement dans les mines de pechblende du Schneeberg et de Joachimsthal [6][7][8][9], dans les mines du Colorado aux États-Unis [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] ainsi que dans les mines de Tchécoslovaquie [20][21][22][23]. …”

“…Étant donné que la limite qu'elle recommande est en accord avec les conclusions des études épidémiologiques dont il est bien précisé qu'elles rendent compte du risque pour l'environnement minier, donc tiennent compte vol. 16 -n° 1…”