Consideration of an industry-wide occupational health study of nuclear utility workers

Technical Report · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:385306

This report assesses the advisability and feasibility of conducting an epidemiologic study of workers at commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. Such a study`s purpose would be to improve knowledge of the health implications of workplace exposure to fractional low-dose ionizing radiation. This issue is of considerable societal concern and can be addressed in human populations only by epidemiologic follow-up of large worker cohorts over extended periods of time. The report recommends that an industry-wide retrospective cohort health study of nuclear power workers is highly advisable. It would provide valuable information regarding the presence of observable health risks related to workplace exposures to ionizing radiation, especially the upper bounds of such risk. The study`s value will be enhanced if it continues as ongoing worker surveillance and if its analysis can eventually be merged with similar worker cohort studies elsewhere. Additional recommendations are made as to epidemiologic design, standardization, data assembly and analytic methods.

• Research Organization: National Research Council, Washington, DC (United States). Board on Radiation Effects Research
• OSTI ID: 385306
• Report Number(s): PB--96-203500/XAB; CNN: Contract NIEHS-N01-ES-95282
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
HEALTH HAZARDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
RISK ASSESSMENT