Reanalysis of Hanford data: 1944-1986 deaths

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · American Journal of Industrial Medicine; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.4700230302· OSTI ID:6330171

Kneale, G W; Stewart, A M ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Birmingham, Edgbaston (United Kingdom)

Reanalysis of Hanford data by a method, which is new only in the sense that it makes new uses of standard epidemiological procedures, has produced evidence of a cancer risk at low dose levels. By a conservative estimate, about three per cent of the pre-1987 cancer deaths of Hanford workers had occupational exposures to external radiation as the critical (induction) event. These radiogenic cancers were evenly distributed between five diagnostic groups, but as a result of there being much greater sensitivity to cancer induction by radiation after, rather than before, 50 years of age, they were concentrated among the cancers which proved fatal after 70 years of age. The reanalysis provides no support for the idea that radiation is more likely to cause leukemia than solid tumors, or the idea that there is reduced cancer effectiveness of radiation at low dose levels (dose rate effectiveness factor or DREF hypothesis), but the estimated proportion of radiogenic cancers was much higher for the 175 nonfatal cancers (which had other certified causes of death) than for the 1,732 fatal cases. Finally, according to the latest publication of the US Committee on Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR V), dose rate is more important than exposure age, and even a single exposure to 10 rem would only increase the normal cancer risk by four percent. Nevertheless, for all recorded exposures of Hanford workers, the estimated doubling dose was close to 26 rem; for exposures after 58 years, it was close to 5 rem, and for exposures after 62 years, it was less than 1 rem. 19 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6330171
• Journal Information: American Journal of Industrial Medicine; (United States), Journal Name: American Journal of Industrial Medicine; (United States) Vol. 23:3; ISSN AJIMD8; ISSN 0271-3586
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AGE DEPENDENCE
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
DISEASE INCIDENCE
DISEASES
DOSES
HANFORD RESERVATION
HUMAN POPULATIONS
IMMUNE SYSTEM DISEASES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEUKEMIA
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MORTALITY
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEOPLASMS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
POPULATIONS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATIONS
REACTORS
RISK ASSESSMENT
STATISTICAL MODELS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS