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Borrego D, Nagata JS, Boyd MA, DeCair SD, Matakas LR, Wang EW, Pawel DJ, Ansari AJ. Science-informed Policy Making for Protecting People and the Environment from Radiation. HEALTH PHYSICS 2024; 126:367-373. [PMID: 38568162 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0000000000001831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The process to arrive at the radiation protection practices of today to protect workers, patients, and the public, including sensitive populations, has been a long and deliberative one. This paper presents an overview of the US Environmental Protection Agency's (US EPA) responsibility in protecting human health and the environment from unnecessary exposure to radiation. The origins of this responsibility can be traced back to early efforts, a century ago, to protect workers from x rays and radium. The system of radiation protection we employ today is robust and informed by the latest scientific consensus. It has helped reduce or eliminate unnecessary exposures to workers, patients, and the public while enabling the safe and beneficial uses of radiation and radioactive material in diverse areas such as energy, medicine, research, and space exploration. Periodic reviews and analyses of research on health effects of radiation by scientific bodies such as the National Academy of Sciences, National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, and the International Commission on Radiological Protection continue to inform radiation protection practices while new scientific information is gathered. As a public health agency, US EPA is keenly interested in research findings that can better elucidate the effects of exposure to low doses and low dose rates of radiation as applicable to protection of diverse populations from various sources of exposure. Professional organizations such as the Health Physics Society can provide radiation protection practitioners with continuing education programs on the state of the science and describe the key underpinnings of the system of radiological protection. Such efforts will help equip and prepare radiation protection professionals to more effectively communicate radiation health information with their stakeholders.
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Wei Y, Dewji S. A comprehensive review of dose limits, triage systems and measurement tools for consequence management of nuclear and radiological emergencies. Radiat Phys Chem Oxf Engl 1993 2024; 217:111533. [PMID: 38882716 PMCID: PMC11170981 DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2024.111533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
During a radiological or nuclear emergency, occupational workers, members of the public, and emergency responders may be exposed to radionuclides, whether external or internal, through inhalation, ingestion, or wounds. In the case of internalized radiation exposure, prompt assessment of contamination is necessary to inform subsequent medical interventions. This review assembles the constituent considerations for managing nuclear and radiological incidents, focused on a parallel analysis of the evolution of radiation dose limits - notably in the emergency preparedness and response realm - alongside a discussion of triage systems and in vivo radionuclide detection tools. The review maps the development of international and national standards and regulations concerning radiation dose limits, illuminating how past incidents and accumulated knowledge have informed present emergency preparedness and response practices, specifically for internalized radiation. Additionally, the objectives and levels of radiation triage systems are explored in-depth, along with a global survey of practices and protocols. Finally, this review also focuses on in vivo detection systems and their capacities for radionuclide identification, prioritizing internalized gamma-emitting isotopes due to their broader relevance. Collectively, this study comprehensively addresses the intricacies of triage management following radiation emergencies, emphasizing the imperative for enhanced standardization and continued research in this critical domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y. Wei
- Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Programs, Georgia Institute of Technology, 770 State Street NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0405, USA
| | - S.A. Dewji
- Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Programs, Georgia Institute of Technology, 770 State Street NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0405, USA
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Dauer LT, Walsh L, Mumma MT, Cohen SS, Golden AP, Howard SC, Roemer GE, Boice JD. Moon, Mars and Minds: Evaluating Parkinson's disease mortality among U.S. radiation workers and veterans in the million person study of low-dose effects. Z Med Phys 2024; 34:100-110. [PMID: 37537100 PMCID: PMC10919963 DOI: 10.1016/j.zemedi.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radiation is one of the most important stressors related to missions in space beyond Earth's orbit. Epidemiologic studies of exposed workers have reported elevated rates of Parkinson's disease. The importance of cognitive dysfunction related to low-dose rate radiation in humans is not defined. A meta-analysis was conducted of six cohorts in the Million Person Study (MPS) of low-dose health effects to learn whether there is consistent evidence that Parkinson's disease is associated with radiation dose to brain. MATERIALS AND METHODS The MPS evaluates all causes of death among U.S. radiation workers and veterans, including Parkinson's disease. Systematic and consistent methods are applied to study all categories of workers including medical radiation workers, industrial radiographers, nuclear power plant workers, atomic veterans, and Manhattan Projects workers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and at Rocky Flats. Consistent methods for all cohorts are used to estimate organ-specific doses and to obtain vital status and cause of death. RESULTS The meta-analysis include 6 cohorts within the MPS, consisting of 517,608 workers and 17,219,001 person-years of observation. The mean dose to brain ranged from 6.9 to 47.6 mGy and the maximum dose from 0.76 to 2.7 Gy. Five of the 6 cohorts revealed positive associations with Parkinson's disease. The overall summary estimate from the meta-analysis was statistically significant based on 1573 deaths due to Parkinson's disease. The summary excess relative risk at 100 mGy was 0.17 (95% CI: 0.05; 0.29). CONCLUSIONS Parkinson's disease was positively associated with radiation in the MPS cohorts indicating the need for careful evaluation as to causality in other studies, delineation of possible mechanisms, and assessing possible implications for space travel as well as radiation protection guidance for terrestrial workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence T Dauer
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Linda Walsh
- Department of Physics, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Michael T Mumma
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center's International Epidemiology Field Station, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Ashley P Golden
- ORISE Health Studies Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Sara C Howard
- ORISE Health Studies Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Grace E Roemer
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - John D Boice
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, MD, USA; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
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Michalik B, Dvorzhak A, Pereira R, Lourenço J, Haanes H, Di Carlo C, Nuccetelli C, Venoso G, Leonardi F, Trevisi R, Trotti F, Ugolini R, Pannecoucke L, Blanchart P, Perez-Sanchez D, Real A, Escribano A, Fevrier L, Kallio A, Skipperud L, Jerome SM, Popic JM. A methodology for the systematic identification of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 881:163324. [PMID: 37028656 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) are present worldwide and under certain circumstances (e.g., human activities) may give radiation exposure to workers, local public or occasional visitors and non-human biota (NHB) of the surrounding ecosystems. This may occur during planned or existing exposure situations which, under current radiation protection standards, require identification, management, and regulatory control as for other practices associated with man-made radionuclides that may result in the exposure of people and NHB. However, knowledge gaps exist with respect to the extent of global and European NORM exposure situations and their exposure scenario characteristics, including information on the presence of other physical hazards, such as chemical and biological ones. One of the main reasons for this is the wide variety of industries, practices and situations that may utilise NORM. Additionally, the lack of a comprehensive methodology for identification of NORM exposure situations and the absence of tools to support a systematic characterisation and data collection at identified sites may also lead to a gap in knowledge. Within the EURATOM Horizon 2020 RadoNorm project, a methodology for systematic NORM exposure identification has been developed. The methodology, containing consecutive tiers, comprehensively covers situations where NORM may occur (i.e., minerals and raw materials deposits, industrial activities, industrial products and residues and their applications, waste, legacies), and thus, allows detailed investigation and complete identification of situations where NORM may present a radiation protection concern in a country. Details of the tiered methodology, with practical examples on harmonised data collection using a variety of existing sources of information to establish NORM inventories, are presented in this paper. This methodology is flexible and thus applicable to a diversity of situations. It is intended to be used to make NORM inventory starting from the scratch, however it can be used also to systematise and complete existing data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boguslaw Michalik
- Central Mining Institute (GIG), Silesian Centre for Environmental Radioactivity, Plac Gwarków 1, 40-166 Katowice, Poland
| | - Alla Dvorzhak
- Research Center on Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Av. Complutense 40, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Ruth Pereira
- GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre/Inov4Agro, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Campus de Vairão, Rua de Agrária 747, Vila do Conde, Portugal
| | - Joana Lourenço
- Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Hallvard Haanes
- Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA), Grini Næringspark 13, Østerås, Norway
| | - Christian Di Carlo
- National Institute of Health (ISS), National Center for Radiation Protection and Computational Physics, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Nuccetelli
- National Institute of Health (ISS), National Center for Radiation Protection and Computational Physics, Rome, Italy
| | - Gennaro Venoso
- National Institute of Health (ISS), National Center for Radiation Protection and Computational Physics, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Leonardi
- National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), DiMEILA, Monteporzio Catone Rome, Italy
| | - Rosabianca Trevisi
- National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), DiMEILA, Monteporzio Catone Rome, Italy
| | - Flavio Trotti
- Environmental Protection Agency of Veneto (ARPAV), Verona, Italy
| | | | - Lea Pannecoucke
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, IRSN/PSE-ENV/SEDRE, 92260 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Pascale Blanchart
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, IRSN/PSE-ENV/SEDRE, 92260 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Danyl Perez-Sanchez
- Research Center on Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Av. Complutense 40, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Almudena Real
- Research Center on Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Av. Complutense 40, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Alicia Escribano
- Research Center on Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT), Av. Complutense 40, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Laureline Fevrier
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, IRSN/PSE-ENV/SRTE, 13115 Saint Paul-lez-Durance Cedex, France
| | - Antti Kallio
- Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Lähteentie 2, 96400 Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Lindis Skipperud
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Environmental Chemistry Section, 1432 Aas, Norway
| | - Simon Mark Jerome
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Environmental Chemistry Section, 1432 Aas, Norway
| | - Jelena Mrdakovic Popic
- Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA), Grini Næringspark 13, Østerås, Norway.
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Schöllnberger H, Dauer LT, Wakeford R, Constanzo J, Golden A. Summary of Radiation Research Society Online 67th Annual Meeting, Symposium on "Radiation and Circulatory Effects". Int J Radiat Biol 2023; 99:702-711. [PMID: 35930470 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2022.2110304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This article summarizes a number of presentations from a session on "Radiation and Circulatory Effects" held during the Radiation Research Society Online 67th Annual Meeting, October 3-6 2021. MATERIALS AND METHODS Different epidemiological cohorts were analyzed with various statistical means common in epidemiology. The cohorts included the one from the U.S. Million Person Study and the Canadian Fluoroscopy Cohort Study. In addition, one of the contributions in our article relies on results from analyses of the Japanese atomic bomb survivors, Russian emergency and recovery workers and cohorts of nuclear workers. The Canadian Fluoroscopy Cohort Study data were analyzed with a larger series of linear and nonlinear dose-response models in addition to the linear no-threshold (LNT) model. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The talks in this symposium showed that low/moderate acute doses at low/moderate dose rates can be associated with an increased risk of CVD, although some of the epidemiological results for occupational cohorts are equivocal. The usually only limited availability of information on well-known risk factors for circulatory disease (e.g. smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, physical activity) is an important limiting factor that may bias any observed association between radiation exposure and detrimental health outcome, especially at low doses. Additional follow-up and careful dosimetric and outcome assessment are necessary and more epidemiological and experimental research is required. Obtaining reliable information on other risk factors is especially important.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lawrence T Dauer
- Departments of Medical Physics and Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard Wakeford
- Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Julie Constanzo
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), Montpellier, France
| | - Ashley Golden
- ORISE Health Studies, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
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Wakeford R, Hauptmann M. The risk of cancer following high, and very high, doses of ionising radiation. JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION 2022; 42:020518. [PMID: 35671754 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/ac767b] [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: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
It is established that moderate-to-high doses of ionising radiation increase the risk of subsequent cancer in the exposed individual, but the question arises as to the risk of cancer from higher doses, such as those delivered during radiotherapy, accidents, or deliberate acts of malice. In general, the cumulative dose received during a course of radiation treatment is sufficiently high that it would kill a person if delivered as a single dose to the whole body, but therapeutic doses are carefully fractionated and high/very high doses are generally limited to a small tissue volume under controlled conditions. The very high cumulative doses delivered as fractions during radiation treatment are designed to inactivate diseased cells, but inevitably some healthy cells will also receive high/very high doses. How the doses (ranging from <1 Gy to tens of Gy) received by healthy tissues during radiotherapy affect the risk of second primary cancer is an increasingly important issue to address as more cancer patients survive the disease. Studies show that, except for a turndown for thyroid cancer, a linear dose-response for second primary solid cancers seems to exist over a cumulative gamma radiation dose range of tens of gray, but with a gradient of excess relative risk per Gy that varies with the type of second cancer, and which is notably shallower than that found in the Japanese atomic bomb survivors receiving a single moderate-to-high acute dose. The risk of second primary cancer consequent to high/very high doses of radiation is likely to be due to repopulation of heavily irradiated tissues by surviving stem cells, some of which will have been malignantly transformed by radiation exposure, although the exact mechanism is not known, and various models have been proposed. It is important to understand the mechanisms that lead to the raised risk of second primary cancers consequent to the receipt of high/very high doses, in particular so that the risks associated with novel radiation treatment regimens-for example, intensity modulated radiotherapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy that deliver high doses to the target volume while exposing relatively large volumes of healthy tissue to low/moderate doses, and treatments using protons or heavy ions rather than photons-may be properly assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Wakeford
- Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Hauptmann
- Institute of Biostatistics and Registry Research, Brandenburg Medical School, Fehrbelliner Strasse 38, 16816 Neuruppin, Germany
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Coursey BM. The National Bureau of Standards and the Radium Dial Painters. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY 2022; 126:126051. [PMID: 38469446 PMCID: PMC10046820 DOI: 10.6028/jres.126.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The tragedy of the radium poisoning of young women dial painters in the 1920s has been the subject of best-selling books, plays, and motion pictures. With knowledge about radium and its accurate measurements in the hands of a very few scientists, what responsibilities did they have to sound the alarm and mitigate the hazards to workers and the general public? This two-part analysis looks at the role of the staff of the U.S. Bureau of Standards (the National Bureau of Standards [NBS] after 1934) in developing measurements and standards for accurate determinations of radium-226 and radon-222 that ultimately led to national standards for exposure to radioactive substances. Part I looks at the efforts of Elizabeth Hughes, with guidance from her senior colleague at the NBS, to assist dial painters with obtaining redress for their injuries. Part II examines the role of NBS in establishing the national radiation protection standards that were promulgated by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bert M. Coursey
- Standards Coordination Office,
National Institute of Standards and Technology,
Gaithersburg, MD 20899,
USA
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Abergel R, Aris J, Bolch WE, Dewji SA, Golden A, Hooper DA, Margot D, Menker CG, Paunesku T, Schaue D, Woloschak GE. The enduring legacy of Marie Curie: impacts of radium in 21st century radiological and medical sciences. Int J Radiat Biol 2022; 98:267-275. [PMID: 35030065 PMCID: PMC9723808 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2022.2027542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This review is focused on radium and radionuclides in its decay chain in honor of Marie Curie, who discovered this element. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conglomerated current knowledge regarding radium and its history predating our present understanding of this radionuclide. RESULTS An overview of the properties of radium and its dose assessment is shown followed by discussions about both the negative detrimental and positive therapeutic applications of radium with this history and its evolution reflecting current innovations in medical science. CONCLUSIONS We hope to remind all those who are interested in the progress of science about the vagaries of the process of scientific discovery. In addition, we raise the interesting question of whether Marie Curie's initial success was in part possible due to her tight alignment with her husband Pierre Curie who pushed the work along.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Abergel
- Nuclear Engineering Department, University of California, Berkeley; Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - John Aris
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Wesley E. Bolch
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Shaheen A. Dewji
- Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Programs, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Ashley Golden
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - David A. Hooper
- Nuclear Nonproliferation Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Dmitri Margot
- Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Programs, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Carly G. Menker
- Departments of Radiation Oncology, Radiology, and Cell and Molecular Biology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Tatjana Paunesku
- Departments of Radiation Oncology, Radiology, and Cell and Molecular Biology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Dörthe Schaue
- Department of Radiation Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gayle E. Woloschak
- Departments of Radiation Oncology, Radiology, and Cell and Molecular Biology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA,Corresponding Author:
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Boice JD, Quinn B, Al-Nabulsi I, Ansari A, Blake PK, Blattnig SR, Caffrey EA, Cohen SS, Golden AP, Held KD, Jokisch DW, Leggett RW, Mumma MT, Samuels C, Till JE, Tolmachev SY, Yoder RC, Zhou JY, Dauer LT. A million persons, a million dreams: a vision for a national center of radiation epidemiology and biology. Int J Radiat Biol 2021; 98:795-821. [PMID: 34669549 PMCID: PMC10594603 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2021.1988183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies of radiation-exposed populations form the basis for human safety standards. They also help shape public health policy and evidence-based health practices by identifying and quantifying health risks of exposure in defined populations. For more than a century, epidemiologists have studied the consequences of radiation exposures, yet the health effects of low levels delivered at a low-dose rate remain equivocal. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Million Person Study (MPS) of U.S. Radiation Workers and Veterans was designed to examine health effects following chronic exposures in contrast with brief exposures as experienced by the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. Radiation associations for rare cancers, intakes of radionuclides, and differences between men and women are being evaluated, as well as noncancers such as cardiovascular disease and conditions such as dementia and cognitive function. The first international symposium, held November 6, 2020, provided a broad overview of the MPS. Representatives from four U.S. government agencies addressed the importance of this research for their respective missions: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The major components of the MPS were discussed and recent findings summarized. The importance of radiation dosimetry, an essential feature of each MPS investigation, was emphasized. RESULTS The seven components of the MPS are DOE workers, nuclear weapons test participants, nuclear power plant workers, industrial radiographers, medical radiation workers, nuclear submariners, other U.S. Navy personnel, and radium dial painters. The MPS cohorts include tens of thousands of workers with elevated intakes of alpha particle emitters for which organ-specific doses are determined. Findings to date for chronic radiation exposure suggest that leukemia risk is lower than after acute exposure; lung cancer risk is much lower and there is little difference in risks between men and women; an increase in ischemic heart disease is yet to be seen; esophageal cancer is frequently elevated but not myelodysplastic syndrome; and Parkinson's disease may be associated with radiation exposure. CONCLUSIONS The MPS has provided provocative insights into the possible range of health effects following low-level chronic radiation exposure. When the 34 MPS cohorts are completed and combined, a powerful evaluation of radiation-effects will be possible. This final article in the MPS special issue summarizes the findings to date and the possibilities for the future. A National Center for Radiation Epidemiology and Biology is envisioned.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D. Boice
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Brian Quinn
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Armin Ansari
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Steve R. Blattnig
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA
| | - Emily A. Caffrey
- Radian Scientific, LLC, Huntsville, AL, and Risk Assessment Corporation, Neeses, SC, USA
| | - Sarah S. Cohen
- EpidStrategies, a division of ToxStrategies, Inc, Cary, NC, USA
| | | | - Kathryn D. Held
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Derek W. Jokisch
- Francis Marion University, Florence, SC, USA
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | | | - Michael T. Mumma
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Joey Y. Zhou
- United States Department of Energy, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
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10
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Boice JD, Bouville A, Dauer LT, Golden AP, Wakeford R. Introduction to the special issue on the US Million Person Study of health effects from low-level exposure to radiation. Int J Radiat Biol 2021; 98:529-532. [PMID: 34612764 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2021.1989906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John D Boice
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | | | - Ashley P Golden
- ORISE Health Studies, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Richard Wakeford
- Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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