Russian Exposure Data - A Goldmine?

[Joyce Davis <JOYCED@DNFSB.GOV>]

Radsafers

Recently I reviewed the paper by Tokarskaya et al in the
December 1997 issue of Health Physics on lung cancer
among workers at the Russian Mayak facility.  As I read it,
the paper indicates a threshold somewhere about 3.7 to 6.7
kBq for lung cancer correlated with Plutonium-239 uptake. 
For comparison the 50-year Plutonium study at Los Alamos
(Voelz, et al, Health Physics, October 1997) shows the
highest  burden of about 3 kBq; in the Russian study the
highest is 140 kBq.  The paper also makes some interesting
observations about hormesis (indication that low dose from
internal Pu has a protective effect) and lung cancer induction
by external radiation (not observed in the population studied).
 All this seems VERY INTERESTING.  It seems to me that
there may be an extensive database of former USSR data to
help fill in the void between what we now don't know about
the effects of low doses and dose rates and do know about
high dose/high dose rate effects.  Apparently similarly
interesting data exist for external gamma radiation (see, e.g.,
1990 paper by Nikipelov et al.)

I'd like to hear from radsafers on the answers to the following
questions or on the names of people who might be able to
answer one or more of them.  (My emphasis is on
non-Chornobyl data, e.g., Russian workers' exposure and
exposures from significant routine releases and accidents
earlier than Chornobyl)

1.  Who is currently tracking the Russian (former USSR)
literature on effects of internal and external radiation based
on 50 years of USSR experience -- especially that from the
early days?
2.  What are the relevant web sites for data and for
analyses?
3.  Who is evaluating that literature? ; are there any
published analyses?
4.  Are there unanalyzed data that are likely to (or might)
produce interesting results if analyzed ?  Is the quality of the
data (e.g., dosimetry) high enough that the error bars on
results will not negate their value? 
5.  Are adequate resources (manpower and money) being
allocated to do whatever it takes to extract useful results
from the Russian data ?
6.  Is there any national plan in the US or international plan
to utilize this data; if so, what is the level of effort and
schedule?.
7.  In the opinion of those familiar with the data and results
is there a reasonable chance that the information gained from
analysis of this data  for internal and/or external emitters can
(1) lead to changes in current occupational radiation
protection standards and/or accident design criteria for
radiological and nuclear facilities or (2) help us quantify the
safety margins?

I'd prefer to keep this thread for information-gathering and
sharing, not as an opportunity to re-open the pro- vs anti-
LNT argument.  That will come once we understand more
about how meaningful and useful this newly analyzed data
might be.

Only the opinion of J. P. Davis
joyced@dnfsb.gov