Type of uranium* | Number of ever exposed workers, N (%) | Person-years at risk | No. of all-CSD deaths† | No. of IHD deaths | No. of CVD deaths | Cumulative exposure duration (years), mean (SD) |
Natural uranium | ||||||
Type F | 2331 (81) | 61 012 | 92 | 40 | 26 | 13.17 (8.53) |
Type M | 1879 (65) | 44 329 | 69 | 31 | 19 | 10.82 (7.87) |
Type S | 1012 (35) | 21 661 | 41 | 21 | 10 | 9.99 (8.63) |
Reprocessed uranium | ||||||
Type F | 891 (31) | 14 173 | 19 | 5 | 8 | 8.21 (6.01) |
Type M | 691 (24) | 9450 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 8.03 (5.80) |
Type S | 496 (17) | 7677 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7.75 (5.67) |
↵* Uranium compounds were classified in terms of absorption types (F-fast, M-moderate or S-slow solubility) according to the Human Respiratory Tract Model described in International Commission on Radiological Protection publication 6615 and to specific workstations analytical studies.16 17
↵† Number of deaths at the end of the study follow-up (31 December 2006) among workers ever exposed to at least a corresponding type of uranium compounds: CSD, circulatory system diseases; IHD, ischaemic heart diseases; CVD, cerebrovascular diseases.