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Milder CM, Bellamy MB, Howard SC, Ellis ED, Golden AP, Cohen SS, Mumma MT, French B, Zablotska LB, Boice JD. Mortality follow-up of Fernald Feed Materials Production Center workers exposed to uranium from 1951 to 1985. Occup Environ Med 2024:oemed-2023-109192. [PMID: 39147576 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2023-109192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This follow-up study of uranium processing workers at the Fernald Feed Materials Production Center examines the relationship between radiation exposure and cancer and non-cancer mortality among 6403 workers employed for at least 30 days between 1951 and 1985. METHODS We estimated cumulative, individual, annualised doses to 15 organs/tissues from external, internal and radon exposures. Vital status and cause of death were ascertained in 2017. The analysis employed standardised mortality ratios, Cox proportional hazards and Poisson regression models. Competing risk analysis was conducted for cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risk given several assumptions about risk independent of competing outcomes. Emphysema was examined to assess the potential for confounding by smoking. RESULTS Vital status was confirmed for 98.1% of workers, with 65.1% deceased. All-cause mortality was less than expected in salaried but not hourly workers when compared with the US population. A statistically significant dose response was observed between external (but not total or internal) lung dose and lung cancer mortality (HR at 100 mGy adjusted for internal dose=1.45; 95% CI=1.05 to 2.01). Significantly increased HRs at 100 mGy dose to heart were observed for CVD (1.27; 95% CI=1.07 to 1.50) and ischaemic heart disease (1.30; 95% CI=1.07 to 1.58). CVD risk remained elevated regardless of competing risk assumptions. Both external and internal radiation were associated with emphysema. CONCLUSIONS Lung cancer was associated with external dose, though positive dose responses for emphysema imply residual confounding by smoking. Novel use of competing risk analysis for CVD demonstrates leveraging retrospective data for future risk prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cato M Milder
- Division of Epidemiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael B Bellamy
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Sara C Howard
- ORISE Health Studies Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Elizabeth D Ellis
- ORISE Health Studies Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ashley P Golden
- ORISE Health Studies Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sarah S Cohen
- Social & Scientific Systems, a DLH Holdings Corporation, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael T Mumma
- International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
- International Epidemiology Field Station, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Benjamin French
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Lydia B Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - John D Boice
- Division of Epidemiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Little MP, Bazyka D, de Gonzalez AB, Brenner AV, Chumak VV, Cullings HM, Daniels RD, French B, Grant E, Hamada N, Hauptmann M, Kendall GM, Laurier D, Lee C, Lee WJ, Linet MS, Mabuchi K, Morton LM, Muirhead CR, Preston DL, Rajaraman P, Richardson DB, Sakata R, Samet JM, Simon SL, Sugiyama H, Wakeford R, Zablotska LB. A Historical Survey of Key Epidemiological Studies of Ionizing Radiation Exposure. Radiat Res 2024; 202:432-487. [PMID: 39021204 PMCID: PMC11316622 DOI: 10.1667/rade-24-00021.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
In this article we review the history of key epidemiological studies of populations exposed to ionizing radiation. We highlight historical and recent findings regarding radiation-associated risks for incidence and mortality of cancer and non-cancer outcomes with emphasis on study design and methods of exposure assessment and dose estimation along with brief consideration of sources of bias for a few of the more important studies. We examine the findings from the epidemiological studies of the Japanese atomic bomb survivors, persons exposed to radiation for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, those exposed to environmental sources including Chornobyl and other reactor accidents, and occupationally exposed cohorts. We also summarize results of pooled studies. These summaries are necessarily brief, but we provide references to more detailed information. We discuss possible future directions of study, to include assessment of susceptible populations, and possible new populations, data sources, study designs and methods of analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P. Little
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Dimitry Bazyka
- National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, 53 Melnikov Street, Kyiv 04050, Ukraine
| | | | - Alina V. Brenner
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - Vadim V. Chumak
- National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, 53 Melnikov Street, Kyiv 04050, Ukraine
| | - Harry M. Cullings
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - Robert D. Daniels
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Benjamin French
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Eric Grant
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Hamada
- Biology and Environmental Chemistry Division, Sustainable System Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), 1646 Abiko, Chiba 270-1194, Japan
| | - Michael Hauptmann
- Institute of Biostatistics and Registry Research, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, 16816 Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Gerald M. Kendall
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Dominique Laurier
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, Fontenay aux Roses France
| | - Choonsik Lee
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - Won Jin Lee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Martha S. Linet
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - Kiyohiko Mabuchi
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - Lindsay M. Morton
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | | | | | - Preetha Rajaraman
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - David B. Richardson
- Environmental and Occupational Health, 653 East Peltason, University California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3957 USA
| | - Ritsu Sakata
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - Jonathan M. Samet
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Steven L. Simon
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - Hiromi Sugiyama
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - Richard Wakeford
- Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Manchester, Ellen Wilkinson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Lydia B. Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16 Street, 2 floor, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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Horvit AM, Molony DA. A systematic review and meta-analysis of mortality and kidney function in uranium-exposed individuals. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 248:118224. [PMID: 38242418 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118224] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Humans are exposed to uranium (U) in a variety of applications. Both animal and observational human studies support an associated U nephrotoxicity. Few statistical syntheses of the human data have been performed and these analyses are limited in the types of exposures considered. OBJECTIVES This study aims to evaluate the state of current evidence and to expand on existing meta-analyses by systematically evaluating kidney-associated causes of mortality in multiple U-exposed populations. This study also aims to evaluate the effect of U exposure on kidney function and biomarkers of kidney injury. METHODS The published and grey literature were systematically reviewed for studies that reported Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR) for kidney cancer, chronic nephritis/nephrosis, all-cause mortality, diabetes, all circulatory/heart disease, and/or ischemic heart disease in U-exposed humans. Studies that reported kidney biomarker measures for U-exposed versus control subjects were identified separately. RESULTS 36 studies were included. The studies were parsed into subgroups based on setting of exposure. Analysis of kidney cancer and chronic nephritis/nephrosis mortality demonstrated an SMR of 0.93 (95CI: 0.82-1.05) and 0.82 (95CI: 0.70-0.96), respectively. The other clinical outcomes evaluated also demonstrated mortality deficits in exposed relative to unexposed individuals. Subgroup analyses demonstrated similar mortality deficits. Conversely, biomarker analyses suggested better kidney function in the controls, but none of these differences reached significance. DISCUSSION Given that most of the included mortality studies were conducted in occupational populations, the mortality deficits observed in our analyses were likely due to the healthy-worker effect. Additionally, our analyses of kidney biomarkers were severely limited by low precision due to a low number of available studies and small study-size. Future work needs to evaluate the progression of chronic and to end-stage kidney disease in community-based populations to better assess the full impact of prolonged chronic U exposure on kidney outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Horvit
- McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Donald A Molony
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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Milder CM, Howard SC, Ellis ED, Golden AP, Cohen SS, Mumma MT, Leggett RW, French B, Zablotska LB, Boice JD. Third mortality follow-up of the Mallinckrodt uranium processing workers, 1942-2019. Int J Radiat Biol 2024; 100:161-175. [PMID: 37819879 PMCID: PMC10843089 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2023.2267640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Mallinckrodt Chemical Works was a uranium processing facility during the Manhattan Project from 1942 to 1966. Thousands of workers were exposed to low-dose-rates of ionizing radiation from external and internal sources. This third follow-up of 2514 White male employees updates cancer and noncancer mortality potentially associated with radiation and silica dust. MATERIALS AND METHODS Individual, annualized organ doses were estimated from film badge records (n monitored = 2514), occupational chest x-rays (n = 2514), uranium urinalysis (n = 1868), radium intake through radon breath measurements (n = 487), and radon ambient measurements (n = 1356). Silica dust exposure from pitchblende processing was estimated (n = 1317). Vital status and cause of death determination through 2019 relied upon the National Death Index and Social Security Administration Epidemiological Vital Status Service. The analysis included standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), Cox proportional hazards, and Poisson regression models. RESULTS Vital status was confirmed for 99.4% of workers (84.0% deceased). For a dose weighting factor of 1 for intakes of uranium, radium, and radon decay products, the mean and median lung doses were 65.6 and 29.9 mGy, respectively. SMRs indicated a difference in health outcomes between salaried and hourly workers, and more brain cancer deaths than expected [SMR: 1.79; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14, 2.70]. No association was seen between radiation and lung cancer [hazard ratio (HR) at 100 mGy: 0.93; 95%CI: 0.78, 1.11]. The relationship between radiation and kidney cancer observed in the previous follow-up was maintained (HR at 100 mGy: 2.07; 95%CI: 1.12, 3.79). Cardiovascular disease (CVD) also increased significantly with heart dose (HR at 100 mGy: 1.11; 95%CI: 1.02, 1.21). Exposures to dust ≥23.6 mg/m3-year were associated with nonmalignant kidney disease (NMKD) (HR: 3.02; 95%CI: 1.12, 8.16) and kidney cancer combined with NMKD (HR: 2.46; 95%CI: 1.04, 5.81), though without evidence of a dose-response per 100 mg/m3-year. CONCLUSIONS This third follow-up of Mallinckrodt uranium processors reinforced the results of the previous studies. There was an excess of brain cancers compared with the US population, although no radiation dose-response was detected. The association between radiation and kidney cancer remained, though potentially due to few cases at higher doses. The association between levels of silica dust ≥23.6 mg/m3-year and NMKD also remained. No association was observed between radiation and lung cancer. A positive dose-response was observed between radiation and CVD; however, this association may be confounded by smoking, which was unmeasured. Future work will pool these data with other uranium processing worker cohorts within the Million Person Study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cato M. Milder
- Division of Epidemiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute
| | | | | | | | - Sarah S. Cohen
- EpidStrategies, a Division of ToxStrategies, Inc., Katy, TX
| | | | | | - Benjamin French
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Lydia B. Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John D. Boice
- Division of Epidemiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), Bethesda, MD, USA
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Thariat J, Little MP, Zablotska LB, Samson P, O’Banion MK, Leuraud K, Bergom C, Girault G, Azimzadeh O, Bouffler S, Hamada N. Radiotherapy for non-cancer diseases: benefits and long-term risks. Int J Radiat Biol 2024; 100:505-526. [PMID: 38180039 PMCID: PMC11039429 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2023.2295966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The discovery of X-rays was followed by a variety of attempts to treat infectious diseases and various other non-cancer diseases with ionizing radiation, in addition to cancer. There has been a recent resurgence of interest in the use of such radiotherapy for non-cancer diseases. Non-cancer diseases for which use of radiotherapy has currently been proposed include refractory ventricular tachycardia, neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Alzheimer's disease and dementia), and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia, all with ongoing clinical studies that deliver radiation doses of 0.5-25 Gy in a single fraction or in multiple daily fractions. In addition to such non-cancer effects, historical indications predominantly used in some countries (e.g. Germany) include osteoarthritis and degenerative diseases of the bones and joints. This narrative review gives an overview of the biological rationale and ongoing preclinical and clinical studies for radiotherapy proposed for various non-cancer diseases, discusses the plausibility of the proposed biological rationale, and considers the long-term radiation risks of cancer and non-cancer diseases. CONCLUSIONS A growing body of evidence has suggested that radiation represents a double-edged sword, not only for cancer, but also for non-cancer diseases. At present, clinical evidence has shown some beneficial effects of radiotherapy for ventricular tachycardia, but there is little or no such evidence of radiotherapy for other newly proposed non-cancer diseases (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, COVID-19 pneumonia). Patients with ventricular tachycardia and COVID-19 pneumonia have thus far been treated with radiotherapy when they are an urgent life threat with no efficient alternative treatment, but some survivors may encounter a paradoxical situation where patients were rescued by radiotherapy but then get harmed by radiotherapy. Further studies are needed to justify the clinical use of radiotherapy for non-cancer diseases, and optimize dose to diseased tissue while minimizing dose to healthy tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Thariat
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Centre François Baclesse, Caen, France
- Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire IN2P3, ENSICAEN/CNRS UMR 6534, Normandie Université, Caen, France
| | - Mark P. Little
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Lydia B. Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Pamela Samson
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - M. Kerry O’Banion
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Klervi Leuraud
- Research Department on Biological and Health Effects of Ionizing Radiation (SESANE), Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Carmen Bergom
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Cardio-Oncology Center of Excellence, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Gilles Girault
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre François Baclesse, Medical Library, Caen, France
| | - Omid Azimzadeh
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Section Radiation Biology, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Simon Bouffler
- Radiation Protection Sciences Division, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Chilton, Didcot, UK
| | - Nobuyuki Hamada
- Biology and Environmental Chemistry Division, Sustainable System Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), Abiko, Chiba, Japan
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Srivastava T, Chirikova E, Birk S, Xiong F, Benzouak T, Liu JY, Villeneuve PJ, Zablotska LB. Exposure to Ionizing Radiation and Risk of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Radiat Res 2023; 199:490-505. [PMID: 37293601 PMCID: PMC10249679 DOI: 10.1667/rade-22-00153.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The number of people living with dementia is rising globally as life expectancy increases. Dementia is a multifactorial disease. Due to the ubiquity of radiation exposure in medical and occupational settings, the potential association between radiation and dementia, and its subtypes (Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease), is of particular importance. There has also been an increased interest in studying radiation induced dementia risks in connection with the long-term manned space travel proposed by The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Our aim was to systematically review the literature on this topic, and use meta-analysis to generate a summary measure of association, assess publication bias and explore sources of heterogeneity across studies. We identified five types of exposed populations for this review: 1. survivors of atomic bombings in Japan; 2. patients treated with radiation therapy for cancer or other diseases; 3. occupationally exposed workers; 4. those exposed to environmental radiation; and 5. patients exposed to radiation from diagnostic radiation imaging procedures. We included studies that considered incident or mortality outcomes for dementia and its subtypes. Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched the published literature indexed in PubMed between 2001 and 2022. We then abstracted the relevant articles, conducted a risk-of-bias assessment, and fit random effects models using the published risk estimates. After we applied our eligibility criteria, 18 studies were identified for review and retained for meta-analysis. For dementia (all subtypes), the summary relative risk was 1.11 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.18; P = 0.001) comparing individuals receiving 100 mSv of radiation to those with no exposure. The corresponding summary relative risk for Parkinson's disease incidence and mortality was 1.12 (95% CI 1.07, 1.17; P <0.001). Our results provide evidence that exposure to ionizing radiation increases the risk of dementia. However, our findings should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of included studies. Longitudinal studies with improved exposure characterization, incident outcomes, larger sample size, and the ability to adjust for effects of potential confounders are needed to better assess the possible causal link between ionizing radiation and dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanvi Srivastava
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143
| | - Ekaterina Chirikova
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143
| | - Sapriya Birk
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Fanxiu Xiong
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143
| | - Tarek Benzouak
- Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Jane Y. Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143
| | - Paul J. Villeneuve
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1S 5B6
| | - Lydia B. Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143
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Rathod AM, Verpaele S, Kelvin M, Sullivan KV, Leybourne MI. Uranium: an overview of physicochemical properties, exposure assessment methodologies, and health effects of environmental and occupational exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023; 45:1183-1200. [PMID: 35711076 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-022-01293-x] [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: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Uranium is chemo- and radiotoxic element which can cause multifactorial health hazards. Natural and anthropogenic uranium contamination raises concerns about potential public health problems. Natural contamination plays a significant role with regard to uranium exposure in the general population, whereas anthropogenic contamination leads to occupational uranium exposure, particularly in nuclear industry workers. In this review, we present a state-of-the-art status concerning uranium-induced health risks with a focus on epidemiological findings of uranium processing and enrichment plant workers. We provide a general overview of physicochemical properties of uranium and analytical methods for measuring or monitoring uranium, describe environmental and occupational exposure scenarios, and discuss the challenges for objectively investigating risks from uranium exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhisha M Rathod
- Department of Geoscience and Geological Engineering, Queen's University, 99 University Avenue, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
- Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute, Queen's University, 64 Bader Lane, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2S2, Canada
| | - Steven Verpaele
- Nickel Institute, Health and Environment Public Policy, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Michelle Kelvin
- Department of Geoscience and Geological Engineering, Queen's University, 99 University Avenue, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Kaj V Sullivan
- Department of Geoscience and Geological Engineering, Queen's University, 99 University Avenue, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Matthew I Leybourne
- Department of Geoscience and Geological Engineering, Queen's University, 99 University Avenue, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
- Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute, Queen's University, 64 Bader Lane, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
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Boice JD, Cohen SS, Mumma MT, Howard SC, Yoder RC, Dauer LT. Mortality among medical radiation workers in the United States, 1965-2016. Int J Radiat Biol 2023; 99:183-207. [PMID: 34731066 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2021.1967508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estimates of radiation risks following prolonged exposures at low doses and low-dose rates are uncertain. Medical radiation workers are a major component of the Million Person Study (MPS) of low-dose health effects. Annual personal dose equivalents, HP(10), for individual workers are available to facilitate dose-response analyses for lung cancer, leukemia, ischemic heart disease (IHD) and other causes of death. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Landauer, Inc. dosimetry database identified 109,019 medical and associated radiation workers first monitored 1965-1994. Vital status and cause of death were determined through 2016. Mean absorbed doses to red bone marrow (RBM), lung, heart, and other organs were estimated by adjusting the recorded HP(10) for each worker by scaling factors, accounting for exposure geometry, the energy of the incident photon radiation, sex of the worker and whether an apron was worn. There were 4 exposure scenarios: general radiology characterized by low-energy x-ray exposure with no lead apron use, interventional radiologists/cardiologists who wore aprons, nuclear medicine personnel and radiation oncologists exposed to high-energy photon radiation, and other workers. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) analyses were performed. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate organ-specific radiation risks. RESULTS Overall, 11,433 deaths occurred (SMR 0.60; 95%CI 0.59,0.61), 126 from leukemia other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 850 from lung cancer, and 1654 from IHD. The mean duration of monitoring was 23.7 y. The excess relative rate (ERR) per 100 mGy was estimated as 0.10 (95% CI -0.34, 0.54) for leukemia other than CLL, 0.15 (0.02, 0.27) for lung cancer, and -0.10 (-0.27, 0.06) for IHD. The ERR for lung cancer was 0.16 (0.01, 0.32) among the 55,218 male workers and 0.09 (-0.19, 0.36) among the 53,801 female workers; a difference that was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.23). CONCLUSIONS Medical radiation workers were at increased risk for lung cancer that was higher among men than women, although this difference was not statistically significant. In contrast, the study of Japanese atomic bomb survivors exposed briefly to radiation in 1945 found females to be nearly 3 times the radiation risk of lung cancer compared with males on a relative scale. For medical workers, there were no statistically significant radiation associations with leukemia excluding CLL, IHD or other specific causes of death. Combining these data with other cohorts within the MPS, such as nuclear power plant workers and nuclear submariners, will enable more precise estimates of radiation risks at relatively low cumulative doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Boice
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Michael T Mumma
- International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, MD, USA.,Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sara C Howard
- ORISE Health Studies Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | | | - Lawrence T Dauer
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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Aoun M, Chelala D. Where do you live and what do you do? Two questions that might impact your kidney health. FRONTIERS IN NEPHROLOGY 2022; 2:1011964. [PMID: 37675017 PMCID: PMC10479685 DOI: 10.3389/fneph.2022.1011964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
In many cases the social determinants of health need to be assessed through their interaction with environmental factors. This review looks at the impact of physical location and occupation of individuals on their kidney health. It examines the effect of living at high altitude on kidney function and the relationship between extreme cold or hot temperatures and the incidence of kidney injury. It reviews as well the many occupations that have been linked to kidney disease in high-income and low-and-middle-income countries. As a conclusion, this overview proposes preventive recommendations that could be individualized based on weather, altitude, socio-economic level of the country and occupation of the individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mabel Aoun
- Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
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Milder CM, Howard SC, Ellis ED, Deppen SA. Deep Breaths: A Systematic Review of the Potential Effects of Employment in the Nuclear Industry on Mortality from Non-Malignant Respiratory Disease. Radiat Res 2022; 198:396-429. [PMID: 35943867 PMCID: PMC9704034 DOI: 10.1667/rade-21-00014.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Ionizing radiation is an established carcinogen, but its effects on non-malignant respiratory disease (NMRD) are less clear. Cohorts exposed to multiple risk factors including radiation and toxic dusts conflate these relationships, and there is a need for clarity in previous findings. This systematic review was conducted to survey the body of existing evidence for radiation effects on NMRD in global nuclear worker cohorts. A PubMed search was conducted for studies with terms relating to radiation or uranium and noncancer respiratory outcomes. Papers were limited to the most recent report within a single cohort published between January 2000 and December 2020. Publication quality was assessed based upon UNSCEAR 2017 criteria. In total, 31 papers were reviewed. Studies included 29 retrospective cohorts, one prospective cohort, and one longitudinal cohort primarily comprising White men from the U.S., Canada and Western Europe. Ten studies contained subpopulations of uranium miners or millers. Papers reported standardized mortality ratio (SMR) analyses, regression analyses, or both. Neither SMR nor regression analyses consistently showed a relationship between radiation exposure and NMRD. A meta-analysis of excess relative risks (ERRs) for NMRD did not present evidence for a dose-response (overall ERR/Sv: 0.07; 95% CI: -0.07, 0.21), and results for more specific outcomes were inconsistent. Significantly elevated SMRs for NMRD overall were observed in two studies among the subpopulation of uranium miners and millers (combined n = 4229; SMR 1.42-1.43), indicating this association may be limited to mining and milling populations and may not extend to other nuclear workers. A quality review showed limited capacity of 17 out of 31 studies conducted to provide evidence for a causal relationship between radiation and NMRD; the higher-quality studies showed no consistent relationship. All elevated NMRD SMRs were among mining and milling cohorts, indicating different exposure profiles between mining and non-mining cohorts; future pooled cohorts should adjust for mining exposures or address mining cohorts separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cato M. Milder
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Sara C. Howard
- Health Studies Program, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
| | - Elizabeth D. Ellis
- Health Studies Program, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
| | - Stephen A. Deppen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
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Hamada N, Laiakis EC, Zablotska LB, Cullings HM. Introduction to the Second Bill Morgan Memorial Special Issue: an update on low dose biology, epidemiology, its integration and implications for radiation protection. Int J Radiat Biol 2021; 97:755-756. [PMID: 33872125 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2021.1918972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nobuyuki Hamada
- Radiation Safety Research Center, Nuclear Technology Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), Komae, Japan
| | - Evagelia C Laiakis
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lydia B Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Harry M Cullings
- Department of Statistics, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
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