Mortality and cancer morbidity experience of female workers at the British Nuclear Fuels Sellafield plant, 1946-1998

BACKGROUND: Studies of nuclear workers have focused mainly on the experience of male workers. To date, little has been published specifically on the experience of female workers in the nuclear industry. METHODS: We report on the mortality, cancer morbidity, and tracing experience of the 6,376 females ever employed at the British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. plant at Sellafield to the end of 1998. These workers have accumulated 142,337 person-years of experience. RESULTS: Radiation workers were exposed to low doses of radiation. No statistically significant associations were noted between mortality or cancer morbidity and cumulative assessed organ-specific internal plutonium dose or cumulative external whole body radiation dose overall, or for any of the individual disease groupings examined. The power of the study was insufficient to detect the risks indicated in other radiation studies. CONCLUSION: This study offers reassurance that there is no detrimental effect on the health of the female workers from occupational exposures at Sellafield. Am. J. Ind. Med. 44:653-663, 2003.