Dataset Information

Analysis of mortality in a pooled cohort of Canadian and German uranium processing workers with no mining experience.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Long-term health risks of occupational exposures to uranium processing were examined to better understand potential differences with uranium underground miners and nuclear reactor workers.

Methods

A cohort study of mortality of workers from Port Hope, Canada (1950-1999) and Wismut, Germany (1946-2008) employed in uranium milling, refining, and processing was conducted. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association between cumulative exposures to radon decay products (RDP) and gamma-rays and causes of death potentially related to uranium processing.

Results

The pooled cohort included 7431 workers (270,201 person-years of follow-up). Mean RDP exposures were lower than in miners while gamma-ray doses were higher than in reactor workers. Both exposures were highly correlated (weighted rho = 0.81). Radiation risks of lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in males were increased but not statistically significant and compatible with risks estimated for miners and reactor workers, respectively. Higher RDP-associated CVD risks were observed for exposures 5-14 years prior to diagnosis compared to later exposures and among those employed <5 years. Radiation risks of solid cancers excluding lung cancer were increased, but not statistically significant, both for males and females, while all other causes of death were not associated with exposures.

Conclusions

In the largest study of uranium processing workers to systematically examine radiation risks of multiple outcomes from RDP exposures and gamma-rays, estimated radiation risks were compatible with risks reported for uranium miners and nuclear reactor workers. Continued follow-up and pooling with other cohorts of uranium processing workers are necessary for future comparisons with other workers of the nuclear fuel cycle.

SUBMITTER: Zablotska LB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5752750 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Analysis of mortality in a pooled cohort of Canadian and German uranium processing workers with no mining experience.

Zablotska Lydia B LB Fenske Nora N Schnelzer Maria M Zhivin Sergey S Laurier Dominique D Kreuzer Michaela M

International archives of occupational and environmental health 20170922 1

<h4>Purpose</h4>Long-term health risks of occupational exposures to uranium processing were examined to better understand potential differences with uranium underground miners and nuclear reactor workers.<h4>Methods</h4>A cohort study of mortality of workers from Port Hope, Canada (1950-1999) and Wismut, Germany (1946-2008) employed in uranium milling, refining, and processing was conducted. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association between cumulative exposures to radon decay produ ...[more]

PMID: 28940040

Similar Datasets

Project description:Uranium processing workers are exposed to uranium and radium compounds from the ore dust and to ?-ray radiation, but less to radon decay products (RDP), typical of the uranium miners. We examined the risks of these exposures in a cohort of workers from Port Hope radium and uranium refinery and processing plant.A retrospective cohort study with carefully documented exposures, which allowed separation of those with primary exposures to radium and uranium.Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, uranium processors with no mining experience.3000 male and female workers first employed (1932-1980) and followed for mortality (1950-1999) and cancer incidence (1969-1999).Cohort mortality and incidence were compared with the general Canadian population. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association between cumulative RDP exposures and ?-ray doses and causes of death and cancers potentially related to radium and uranium processing.Overall, workers had lower mortality and cancer incidence compared with the general Canadian population. In analyses restricted to men (n=2645), the person-year weighted mean cumulative RDP exposure was 15.9 working level months (WLM) and the mean cumulative whole-body ?-ray dose was 134.4 millisieverts. We observed small, non-statistically significant increases in radiation risks of mortality and incidence of lung cancer due to RDP exposures (excess relative risks/100 WLM=0.21, 95% CI <-0.45 to 1.59 and 0.77, 95% CI <-0.19 to 3.39, respectively), with similar risks for those exposed to radium and uranium. All other causes of death and cancer incidence were not significantly associated with RDP exposures or ?-ray doses or a combination of both.In one of the largest cohort studies of workers exposed to radium, uranium and ?-ray doses, no significant radiation-associated risks were observed for any cancer site or cause of death. Continued follow-up and pooling with other cohorts of workers exposed to by-products of radium and uranium processing could provide valuable insight into occupational risks and suspected differences in risk with uranium miners.

Dataset Information

Analysis of mortality in a pooled cohort of Canadian and German uranium processing workers with no mining experience.

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Analysis of mortality in a pooled cohort of Canadian and German uranium processing workers with no mining experience.

Similar Datasets

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