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Title: Dose Reconstruction for the Million Worker Study: Status and Guidelines

Journal Article · · Health Physics
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [6];  [8];  [9];  [9];  [10];  [3];  [11];  [12];  [13];  [14];  [15];  [16]
  1. National Cancer Inst., Rockville, MD (United States)
  2. M. H. Chew & Associates, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  3. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, MD (United States)
  4. New York, NY (United States)
  5. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States)
  6. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  7. Oak Ridge Associated Univ., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  8. International Epidemiology Inst., Rockville, MD (United States)
  9. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  10. Clarksburg, MD (United States)
  11. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Washington, DC (United States)
  12. Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
  13. US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Arlington, TX (United States)
  14. Risk Assessment Corporation, Neeses, SC (United States)
  15. Landauer, Inc., Glenwood, IL (United States)
  16. Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

The primary aim of the epidemiologic study of one million U.S. radiation workers and veterans (the Million-Worker study) is to provide scientifically valid information on the level of radiation risk when exposures are received gradually over time, and not acutely as was the case for Japanese atomic bomb survivors. The primary outcome of the epidemiological study is cancer mortality but other causes of death such as cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease will be evaluated. The success of the study is tied to the validity of the dose reconstruction approaches to provide unbiased estimates of organ-specific radiation absorbed doses and their accompanying uncertainties. The dosimetry aspects for the Million-Worker study are challenging in that they address diverse exposure scenarios for diverse occupational groups being studied over a period of up to 70 years. The dosimetric issues differ among the varied exposed populations that are considered: atomic veterans, DOE workers exposed to both penetrating radiation and intakes of radionuclides, nuclear power plant workers, medical radiation workers, and industrial radiographers. While a major source of radiation exposure to the study population comes from external gamma-ray or x-ray sources, for certain of the study groups there is a meaningful component of radionuclide intakes that require internal radiation dosimetry measures. Scientific Committee 6-9 has been established by NCRP to produce a report on the comprehensive organ dose assessment (including uncertainty analysis) for the Million-Worker study. The Committee’s report will cover the specifics of practical dose reconstruction for the ongoing epidemiologic studies with uncertainty analysis discussions and will be a specific application of the guidance provided in NCRP Reports 158, 163, 164, and 171. The main role of the Committee is to provide guidelines to the various groups of dosimetrists involved in the various components of the Million-Worker study to make sure that certain dosimetry criteria are respected: calculation of annual absorbed doses in the organs of interest, separation of low-LET and high-LET components, evaluation of uncertainties, and quality assurance and quality control. Lastly, we recognize that the Million-Worker study and its approaches to dosimetry are a work in progress and that there will be flexibility and changes in direction as new information is obtained, both with regard to dosimetry and with regard to the epidemiologic features of the study components.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USEPA; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830; SC0008944; U01 CA137026
OSTI ID:
1221454
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-104885; HU2006300
Journal Information:
Health Physics, Vol. 108, Issue 2; ISSN 0017-9078
Publisher:
Health Physics SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 56 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (13)

The Million Person Study, whence it came and why journal April 2019
Dosimetry associated with veterans who participated in nuclear weapons testing journal January 2019
Cohort profile – MSK radiation workers: a feasibility study to establish a deceased worker sub-cohort as part of a multicenter medical radiation worker component in the million person study of Low-Dose radiation health effects journal February 2019
Evaluation of statistical modeling approaches for epidemiologic studies of low-dose radiation health effects journal January 2019
Dosimetry and uncertainty approaches for the million person study of low-dose radiation health effects: overview of the recommendations in NCRP Report No. 178 journal November 2018
Updated mortality analysis of the Mallinckrodt uranium processing workers, 1942–2012 journal February 2019
Retrospective cohort study and biobanking of patients treated for hemangioma in childhood – telomeres as biomarker of aging and radiation exposure journal January 2017
The Million Person Study relevance to space exploration and mars journal April 2019
Implications of recent epidemiologic studies for the linear nonthreshold model and radiation protection journal August 2018
Historical perspective on the department of energy mortality studies: focus on the collection and storage of individual worker data journal January 2019
What does radiation biology tell us about potential health effects at low dose and low dose rates? journal September 2019
Occupational Health Risks in Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Workers journal April 2016
Evaluation of statistical modeling approaches for epidemiologic studies of low dose radiation health effects text January 2018

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements
dose reconstruction
occupational exposures
radiation workers
Million Worker Study