Re: Healthy Worker Effect and Nuclear Shipy

["Will Atkinson (B364 X4370)" <will.atkinson@aeat.co.uk>]

Jim Muckerheide wrote:

>As Jerry expects, in the NSWS, the 33,352 non-nuclear workers (NNW) had poorer 
>health compared to the 39,004 NW. However, the NNW also had an all-cause SMR
>of 1.00 (+- 0.03 at 95% C.I.) compared to the general population. THERE IS NO
>HEALTHY WORKER EFFECT (which of course there can NOT be if you think about
>comparing to *age-adjusted comparable populations*). 
>
>The leukemia SMR to the population was 0.97 (+-0.42), lymphatic and
>hematopoietic cancers 1.10 (+-0.27), lung cancer 1.15 (+-0.13) [significant],
>and mesothelioma 2.54 (1.16, 4.43) [significant] from asbestos. So much for
>"healthy worker effect", which is a fallacious "mantra" for the troops and the 
>gullible unscientific public to ignore data. 


There are other studies Jim.  For example, Carpenter et al 1994,
Radiation Research 138, 224-238. 'Combined analysis of mortality in
three UK nuclear industry workforces, 1946-1988'.

In a study of 40,771 radiation workers and 34,441 non-radiation workers
from the same establishments they obtained an all-cause SMR of 82
(p<0.001) in non-rad workers and 81 (p<0.001) in rad workers.

Looks like a Healthy Worker Effect to me!

Will
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Will Atkinson                                Internet: will.atkinson@aeat.co.uk
Health Effects                               
AEA Technology, 364 Harwell, Didcot          Phone:    +44 1235 434370
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