Key Issues
Radiation Safety at Nuclear Power Plants: Studies Look at Public, Workers
<< Previous
International Agency for Research on Cancer
The International Agency for Research on Cancer studied the effects of low doses of radiation on more than 400,000 nuclear workers in 15 countries, including the United States.4 The study sought to determine whether workers with higher radiation doses have a higher risk of cancer, including leukemia.
All individuals had worked for at least one year in environments that have the potential for radiation exposure—nuclear power plants, nuclear technology research, waste management, radioisotope production, fuel fabrication or weapons facilities. The statistical models used in the study accounted for such factors as age, gender (90 percent of those in the study group were men), the time between radiation exposure and death, how long individuals worked in that environment, and socioeconomic status. The study did not account for such variables as smoking, diet or other types of occupational exposures.
In some cases, the cumulative doses to individuals do not accurately reflect today’s tough radiation protection standards, but instead reflect much earlier standards.
“Less than 5 percent of workers in this study received cumulative doses of the order of [10,000 millirems] over their entire career … and most of these doses were received in the early years of the industry, when protection standards were less stringent than today.”
Based on its analysis, the panel estimated that radiation exposure could be responsible for 1 percent to 2 percent of cancer deaths among nuclear workers.
The study identified a difference in cancer mortality risk among the 15 countries—with one country, Canada, higher than the others—but it found nothing that might account for this difference. “Only when we excluded Canada was the excess relative risk [of cancer mortality] no longer significantly different from zero,” the panel wrote.
The results confirm that current radiation protection standards keep workers safe. “We have provided radiation risk estimates from the largest study of nuclear workers conducted so far,” the panel wrote. “These estimates are higher than, but statistically compatible with, the current bases for radiation protection standards.”
4 British Medical Journal, doi:10.1136/bmj.38499.599861. EO, published June 29, 2005.
Pages 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
International Agency for Research on Cancer
The International Agency for Research on Cancer studied the effects of low doses of radiation on more than 400,000 nuclear workers in 15 countries, including the United States.4 The study sought to determine whether workers with higher radiation doses have a higher risk of cancer, including leukemia.
All individuals had worked for at least one year in environments that have the potential for radiation exposure—nuclear power plants, nuclear technology research, waste management, radioisotope production, fuel fabrication or weapons facilities. The statistical models used in the study accounted for such factors as age, gender (90 percent of those in the study group were men), the time between radiation exposure and death, how long individuals worked in that environment, and socioeconomic status. The study did not account for such variables as smoking, diet or other types of occupational exposures.
In some cases, the cumulative doses to individuals do not accurately reflect today’s tough radiation protection standards, but instead reflect much earlier standards.
“Less than 5 percent of workers in this study received cumulative doses of the order of [10,000 millirems] over their entire career … and most of these doses were received in the early years of the industry, when protection standards were less stringent than today.”
Based on its analysis, the panel estimated that radiation exposure could be responsible for 1 percent to 2 percent of cancer deaths among nuclear workers.
The study identified a difference in cancer mortality risk among the 15 countries—with one country, Canada, higher than the others—but it found nothing that might account for this difference. “Only when we excluded Canada was the excess relative risk [of cancer mortality] no longer significantly different from zero,” the panel wrote.
The results confirm that current radiation protection standards keep workers safe. “We have provided radiation risk estimates from the largest study of nuclear workers conducted so far,” the panel wrote. “These estimates are higher than, but statistically compatible with, the current bases for radiation protection standards.”
4 British Medical Journal, doi:10.1136/bmj.38499.599861. EO, published June 29, 2005.
Pages 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
