High incidence of micronuclei in lymphocytes from residents of the area near the Semipalatinsk nuclear explosion test site

The Semipalatinsk area is highly contaminated with radioactive fallout from 40 years of continuous nuclear testing. The biological effects on human health in this area have not been studied. Significant remaining radioactivities include long-lived radioisotopes of 238,239,400Pu, 137Cs and 90Sr. To evaluate the long-term biological effects of the radioactive fallout, the incidence of micronuclei in lymphocytes from residents of the area was observed. Blood was obtained from 10 residents (5 females and 5 males, aged 47 to 55 years old) from each of the 3 areas of Znamenka, Dolon and Semipalatinsk, which are about 50-150 km from the nuclear explosion test site. For micronucleus assay, PHA-stimulated lymphocytes were cultured for 72 h and cytochalasin B was added at 44 h for detecting binuclear lymphocytes. Five thousand binuclear lymphocytes in each resident were scored. The means of micronucleus counts in 1,000 lymphocytes in residents of Semipalatinsk, Dolon and Znamenka were 16.3, 12.6, and 7.80, respectively, which were higher than those of the normal Japanese persons (4.66). These values were equivalent to the results obtained from 0.187-0.47 Gy of chronic exposure to gamma-rays at a dose rate of 0.02 cGy/min. The high incidence of micronuclei in residents of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site area was mainly caused by internal exposure rather than external exposure received for the past 40 years.     

Radiological implications of inhaled 239Pu and 241Am in dusts at the former nuclear test site in Maralinga.

The biokinetics of 239Pu and 241Am present in three dust samples obtained from Maralinga were investigated after their deposition in the rat lung. Results were used as an experimental basis for assessing the radiological implications for human exposure. The transfer rates of these actinides to blood in the various dusts differed by 50-fold. The most transportable forms were compatible with a material that had 25% class W and 75% class Y characteristics. The doses per unit intake for adults, children, and infants exposed to an aerosol of 5 microns AMAD were calculated to be, respectively, 0.059, 0.076, and 0.140 mSv Bq-1. The corresponding doses for the least transportable forms were the same as those calculated for a class Y compound, namely 0.036, 0.049, and 0.096 mSv Bq-1. The behavior of the actinides in humans was predicted by combining the transfer rates to blood with mechanical clearance data obtained after volunteers had inhaled 85Sr or 88Y labeled fused aluminosilicate particles. The results suggested that monitoring of 241Am in the chest could be used to advantage for assessing intakes incurred by workers involved with any further decontamination procedures but would be of little practical value for assessing inadvertent public exposure. The paper includes comments on the relevance of the 1990 ICRP recommendations and the proposed new dosimetric model for the respiratory tract.     

核电站周围居民核和辐射认知方法学研究

目的 探讨核电站周围居民核辐射认知研究调查方法.方法 介绍了本次调查核电站的确定、调查范围的界定、对象的选择、样本量的计算、抽样方法和调查方法的确定内容.结果 本调查方法为后续开展类似的调查提供了借鉴经验.结论 核电站周围居民核辐射认知调查方法应将理论和实际相结合,以科学的方法来开展调查.     

High frequency of AML1/RUNX1 point mutations in radiation-associated myelodysplastic syndrome around Semipalatinsk nuclear test site

It is known that bone marrow is a sensitive organ to ionizing radiation, and many patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) have been diagnosed in radiation-treated cases and atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The AML1/RUNX1 gene has been known to be frequently mutated in MDS/AML patients among atomic bomb survivors and radiation therapy-related MDS/AML patients. In this study, we investigated the AML1 mutations in radiation-exposed patients with MDS/AML among the residents near the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS), where the risk of solid cancers and leukemias was increased due to the radiation effects. AML1 mutations were identified in 7 (39%) of 18 radiation-exposed MDS/AML patients. In contrast, no AML1 mutation was found in 13 unexposed MDS/AML cases. The frequency of AML1 mutations in radiation-exposed patients with MDS/AML was significantly higher compared with unexposed patients (p < 0.05).We also found a significant correlation between individual estimated doses and AML1 mutations (p < 0.05). Considering these results, AML1 point mutations might be a useful biomarker that differentiates radio-induced MDS/AML from spontaneous MDS/AML.     

Health status of children living in rural localities in the area of Totsk nuclear explosion

The paper presents late outcomes of radiation exposure of 3205 children aged 6-17 years from native persons residing in the areas exposed to radiation 40 years ago. The spread of noncommunicable diseases in the children from the polluted area is 92%. Organic abnormalities are prevalent among them. These include thyroid hyperplasia, lymphadenopathy, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and other diseases. Thus, the environmental radiological situation in the southern Urals and the Orenburg Region is poor.     

Current status of nuclear power in the United States and around the world

Nuclear energy's share of the world electricity market has been growing over the past 35 years. In 1989, eight generating units entered commercial operation abroad and three new units were licensed in the U.S. In early 1990, Mexico became the 26th country to produce electricity from nuclear power. Currently the 426 operating reactors supply one sixth of the world's total electrical capacity. Fourteen countries have now operated nuclear plants for 20 or more years. Since 1980, France has been the leader in the use of nuclear power and currently generates three quarters of its electricity from 54 nuclear plants. The U.S. has 112 nuclear plants, the largest number of any country in the world. These plants satisfy almost 20 percent of U.S. electrical energy requirements. Last year Three Mile Island, the would-be icon for everything that is wrong with the nuclear industry was rated as the most efficient nuclear plant in the world. The worldwide trend toward acceptance of nuclear is improving slightly, but many political and societal issues need to be resolved. Whereas recent polls indicate that a majority of the people realize nuclear must be a major contributor to the energy mix of the future, many are reluctant to support the technology until the issue of waste disposal has been resolved. Fears of another Chernobyl, lack of capital, and a new anti-nuclear campaign by Greenpeace will keep the nuclear debate alive in many countries. Additional stumbling blocks in the U.S. include the need to develop a new generation of improved reactor designs which emphasize passive safety features, standardized designs and a stream-lined federal licensing process. Nuclear power is really not dead. Even environmentalists are starting to give it another look. A nuclear renaissance will occur in the U.S. How soon or under what conditions remain to be seen. The next crisis in the U.S. will not be a shortage of energy, rather a shortage of electricity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Comparative characteristics of environmental factors of rural localities in the area of Totsk nuclear explosion

Environmental pollution of rural settlements in the vicinity of Totsk nuclear explosion was investigated. The findings show that the blanket of snow, soil and drinking water in the polluted area did not differ from those in the control district. High levels of stable strontium in the soil and drinking water and those of iodine in the water were detected. The concentrations of plutonium-239, 240 and cesium-137 in the soil were higher than the levels of global sediments and the baseline values of cesium-137 for the Orenburg Region.     

Reevaluation of radiation dose around the JCO site from the criticality accident in Tokai-mura

Based on the monitoring data periodically taken during the JCO criticality accident in Tokai-mura, neutron and gamma-ray doses were evaluated at 13 points around the site boundary ranging from 73 to 540 m from the conversion building where the criticality took place. Radiation doses obtained by the present study were compared with the dose-distance curves developed through the works of the Nuclear Safety Commission Investigation Committee. The latter values are larger by 30 to 120% than the former at the 6 nearest points within 150 m from the conversion building, while they agree well at the points beyond 250 m. It is suggested that the shielding effects by the surrounding buildings around the conversion building contributed to the difference of estimated doses near the JCO boundary. To reconstruct the radiation environment realistically at the residential area near the JCO facilities, it is necessary to employ radiation transport calculations with three-dimensional models of the configuration around the conversion building. Radiation doses evaluated in the present study can be used to check the validity of such calculations based on the three-dimensional model.     

Incidence of acute leukemias, lymphomas and thyroid cancers in children under 15 years, living around the Marcoule nuclear site from 1985 to 1995]

BACKGROUND: The aim of this investigation was to report incidence of childhood leukemia, lymphoma and thyroid neoplasms in children under 15 years of age living in the vicinity of the French Marcoule nuclear reprocessing plant. METHODS: This exhaustive and retrospective survey was carried out between 1985 and 1995 in children aged under 14 at the time of diagnosis and living inside a 35 kilometer zone around the nuclear site. 656 practitioners, 109 medical analysis laboratories and 5 hospitals or cancer institutes were investigated. A panel of experts checked each case. RESULTS: 48 cases of acute leukemia (39 acute lymphoid leukemia and 9 acute myeloid leukemia), 15 cases of lymphoma (8 Hodgkin lymphomas--53%--and 7 non hodgkinian lymphomas including 5 Burkitt lymphomas), 1 case of chronic myeloid leukemia and 1 case of papillary thyroid cancer, appeared among the 1,116,442 children-years followed. The total incidences of leukemias and lymphomas were respectively 4.12 and 1.29.10(-5). Standardised Incidence Ratios, calculated according to Poisson methods and bayesian inference, with various reference rates did not show any excess of risk: 100.67 (95% confidence interval 72-131) for leukemia. Children under 5 years old and living in non exposed areas to dominant winds or downstream rhodanian water drawing presented a 3 or 4 fold decreased risk of leukemia than others (the latter still having an identical risk to that of the general population). This was not true for lymphomas, nor for the other age groups. CONCLUSION: Over the entire zone, children do not have an increased risk of malignant hematology disease but health monitoring by a systematic collection of cases remains useful around Marcoule. The assumption of aquiferous or air contamination thus still remains questionable: further studies investigating models of contamination are needed to take into account all other nonionizing leucemogenic factors (benzene and viral injection in particular) or correlation studies between health indicators and dosimetry.     

核设施周围居民甲状腺疾病流行病学调查资料分析

目的 综合分析国内外核设施周围居民甲状腺疾病流行病学调查的内容、现状及进展,为设计我国核设施周围甲状腺疾病基线调查提供参考.方法 搜集国内外核设施周围健康基线调查资料,查阅核事故及核爆试验后核设施周围人群甲状腺疾病流行研究资料.结果 参加切尔诺贝利核电事故救援的工作人员中,男性甲状腺癌发病率比1990-1997年乌克兰一般人口甲状腺癌发病率高3倍,比1998-2004年高8倍;女性分别高8.7倍和12倍.国内在3个核电站周围对居民进行了甲状腺肿的调查,在2个核电站周围对居民进行了甲状腺癌发病(死亡)率专项调查.结论 核设施周围居民甲状腺疾病基线调查十分必要;核设施周围居民健康基线调查设计既要注重科学性,又要具备可操作性.     

我国某核电站运行前儿童甲状腺肿大调查

目的提供核电正常运行或核电事故对儿童健康影响相应的基础资料。方法对我国某核电站周围30km范围内4003名7～14岁儿童采用临床触诊方法进行检查,然后从触诊受检者中随机抽取30%儿童进行专用B超仪检查;使用半定量法测定全部触诊儿童家中食盐碘的含量,用酸消化砷铈接触法测定216名触诊儿童尿碘含量。结果甲状腺触诊检查人数为4003人,甲状腺肿大率平均为8.34%,其中距核电站5km的A镇甲状腺肿大率大于10%,食盐碘盐的合格率以A镇最低;甲状腺专用B超仪检查人数为1590人,甲状腺肿大率平均为9.69%,其中距核电站5km的A镇及15km的D镇甲状腺肿大率均大于10%,尿碘测定低于100μg/L的以D镇人数最多;B超检查甲状腺肿大检出率高于触诊检出率。结论我国某核电站周围部分地区可能存在地方性甲状腺肿大流行区。     

甘肃省核设施周围食品放射性核素水平监测与分析

目的 调查和了解甘肃省核设施周围地区食品中放射性核素水平,建立基线数据库。方法 采集核设施周围和对照地区的粮食、蔬菜、禽畜肉类、奶粉和茶叶等食品,采用相关标准中规定的处理方法进行前处理,使用高纯锗（HPGe）γ能谱仪检测食品中的放射性核素。结果 三年共采集57份样品,其中11份样品检出放射性核素¹³⁷Cs,比活度均值为（0.310±0.215）Bq/kg（鲜重）,低于国家标准规定的各类食品中¹³⁷Cs的限制浓度,且核设施周围和对照地区均有检出。结论 甘肃省核设施周围地区食品中检出的放射性核素并非核设施释放,且均在国家标准限值以内,不会对公众造成健康风险。     

秦山核电站周围居民核能认知度调查

目的 通过调查核电站周围居民对核能的认知和态度,探讨影响公众对核电站认知和态度的因素。方法 按居住地距秦山核电站核岛的不同距离分6层,选取海盐县、海宁市常住居民男性759人和女性780人作为调查对象进行问卷调查。结果 调查对象中,支持当地建核电站的占21.9%,认可核电站是安全的占42.3%,认为我国对核辐射知识宣传不充分的占93.3%;男性、受教育程度较低,认为核电站对周围环境的影响小、认为中央政府和当地政府处理突发事件的能力强和认为核电站对家庭影响小的居民更倾向于支持核电站建设;男性、受教育程度较高、认为核电站对周围居民健康和环境的影响小、认为当地政府处理突发事件的能力强、认为建设核电站对家庭影响小和家庭经济状况好的居民更倾向于认可核电站安全性。结论 性别、教育程度、核电站对周围环境和家庭的影响、当地政府处理突发事件的能力是影响公众对核电站认知和态度的主要因素;目前居民对核辐射危险认知度不高,应有针对性地对目标人群开展核辐射知识的健康教育与健康促进。     

某新运行核电站所在地居民核辐射风险认知调查分析

目的 了解某新运行的核电站不同距离范围内居民对核辐射风险认知水平,探讨影响对核电认知的因素。方法 采用分层整群随机抽样方法,以该核电站所在地区50 km范围内外共2017名居民为调查对象,采用《核电站所在地区核辐射风险认知调查表》进行面对面调查问卷。结果 共回收有效问卷1952份,在辐射知识认知情况方面,认为在医院做影像检查时受到电离辐射照射、认为不同放射性物质的半衰期不同,50 km范围内均高于50 km范围外的正确回答率,差异均有统计学意义（P < 0.05）。在核电站认知情况方面,认为日本福岛核电站事故对我国居民健康有影响、担心核电站发生严重事故和损害身体健康的比率,50 km范围内均高于50 km范围外,差异均有统计学意义（P < 0.05）。在核辐射应急认知情况方面,认为发生核事故时应当服用稳定性碘的正确回答率、对中央政府和当地政府处理各种突发事件能力认可率的比较,50 km范围内的调查结果均高于50 km范围外,差异均有统计学意义（P < 0.05）。在核辐射影响认知情况方面,认为核电站对所在地区环境影响较大、希望了解核电站的相关信息,50 km范围内均高于50 km范围外的正确回答率,差异均有统计学意义（P < 0.05）。结论 应当通过多种途径加强核电站周围居民的核辐射知识的宣传教育,提升核辐射知识的正确认知水平。     

核电站周围人群辐射认知问卷调查质量控制

目的 分析总结辐射认知现场问卷调查各阶段设计上存在的问题,提高今后问卷调查设计的科学性和可行性.方法 总结调查设计、预调查、正式调查及数据录入等设计过程中的问题,针对存在的问题进行探讨分析,找出解决问题的有效途径.现场问卷调查重点考虑了季节、作息时间、人口流动、工厂企业及问卷调查所需时间等因素;利用数据质量控制功能,包括变量取值范围限定、自动跳项、逻辑判断、自动保存等减少表格录入中错误的发生;录完数据后将EpiData数据库转换成STATA数据库,编写程序,对各条记录的逻辑关系与实际情况有明显差异的记录进行筛查,发现问题翻阅原始表格进行核对.结果 共调查3451份辐射认知问卷.抽样方法、样本量及调查方法是根据当地实际情况及调查所需经费等实际情况来确定;对调查员培训及现场问卷质量控制是整个调查的两个关键环节,本次调查员培训合格率100%,应答率87.9%,问卷填写完整率96.4%;问卷录入错误率4.8%.结论 问卷调查质量控制在整体设计上须考虑到全程性、全员性及全域性,而不仅仅体现在现场问卷调查环节上.