Mortality of employees of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority,1946-97

[John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>]

I saw this posted on another list server, and thought

it would be of interets.  I think the article can be

found at

http://oem.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/61/7/577



As noted:

"CONCLUSION: Overall, radiation workers at UKAEA

showed no excess mortality. . . ." 



----------------------------

Mortality of employees of the United Kingdom Atomic

Energy Authority, 1946-97.



Occup Environ Med. 2004 Jul;61(7):577-85. 



Atkinson WD, Law DV, Bromley KJ, Inskip HM.



Radiation Dosimetry, Health Physics Division, Health

Effects, RWE NUKEM, 351.28 Harwell, Didcot,

Oxfordshire OX11 0RA, UK. will.atkinson@rwenukem.co.uk



BACKGROUND: The workforce of the UK Atomic Energy

Authority has been the subject of several previous

epidemiological investigations. AIMS: To detect and

investigate associations between mortality rates and

employment in a substantially increased cohort size

and follow up extended to 1997. METHODS AND RESULTS:

The new cohort included 51 367 employees, of whom 10

249 were dead. Mortality rates for all workers were

low compared to national rates, as were rates in

radiation workers and for workers monitored for

internal contamination. For radiation workers all

cause mortality and all cancer mortality were

significantly lower than for non-radiation workers.

There was no overall trend of increasing mortality

with radiation dose. There was little evidence of

raised mortality from leukaemia. The association of

prostatic cancer with radiation dose was much less

significant than in previous reports. However, the

relatively high mortality from uterine cancers among

radiation workers remained, though the numbers were

very small. The association was with endometrial

rather than cervical cancer. Mortality from cancer of

the pleura was high among radiation workers, but was

not correlated with dose. CONCLUSION: Overall,

radiation workers at UKAEA showed no excess mortality.

The previously detected association of prostate cancer

with high radiation dose may have been a statistical

artefact or a risk associated with discontinued

activities. Endometrial cancer occurred at higher

rates in female radiation workers, but, because there

was no correlation with dose, may well be due to

something other than their radiation exposure. Cancer

of the pleura in radiation workers was almost

certainly related to past asbestos exposure.







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"To be persuasive, we must be believable,

To be believable, we must be credible,

To be credible, we must be truthful."

Edward R. Murrow



-- John

John Jacobus, MS

Certified Health Physicist

e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com





		

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