Bone marrow dose estimates from work-related medical x-ray examinations given between 1943 and 1966 for personnel from five U.S. nuclear facilities

Health Phys. 2006 Jun;90(6):544-53. doi: 10.1097/01.HP.0000194230.29763.0c.

Abstract

Inclusion of dose from work-related medical x-ray examinations with occupational external dose in an epidemiological study may reduce misclassification of exposures and provide more accurate assessment of leukemia risk from occupational exposure to ionizing radiation. In a multi-site leukemia case-control study, annual bone marrow doses due to work-related x-ray examinations given between 1943 and 1966 were estimated for cases and controls employed at five nuclear facilities. Only active bone marrow dose from photofluorographic chest and routine lumbar spine x rays were included. Bone marrow dose assigned for a single exposure ranged from 1.0 to 1.4 mGy. Mean and median cumulative bone marrow doses for each of the five sites from work-related x-ray examinations ranged from 2.0 to 14 mGy and 2.1 to 8.8 mGy, respectively. Results suggest that bone marrow dose from work-related photofluorographic and lumbar spine x-ray examinations given during the time period of this study may be significant compared to occupational bone marrow dose.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Body Burden
  • Bone Marrow*
  • Humans
  • Nuclear Reactors / statistics & numerical data*
  • Occupational Exposure / analysis*
  • Power Plants / statistics & numerical data*
  • Radiation Dosage
  • Radiation Monitoring / methods*
  • Radiography / statistics & numerical data*
  • Relative Biological Effectiveness
  • Risk Assessment / methods*
  • Risk Factors
  • United States / epidemiology