Risk of cancer from occupational exposure to ionising radiation “100mSv 이하 원전 근무자도 암 사망률 증가”

Risk of cancer from occupational exposure to ionising radiation: retrospective cohort study of workers in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States (INWORKS)

“100mSv 이하 원전 근무자도 암 사망률 증가”

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국제 연구팀이 미국과 유럽 원자력 시설에서 근무한 30만 명 이상을 대상으로 실시한 역학 조사에서 100밀리시버트(mSv) 이하 저선량 피폭도 방사선량에 따라 암으로 인한 사망률이 증가한다는 분석 결과를 21일 영국 의학지 BMJ에 발표했다. 유엔과학위원회 등은 피폭량이 100mSv를 넘으면 암 발생률이 늘어나도 100mSv 이하는 명확한 발생률 증가를 확인할 수 없다는 견해를 내놓고 있다. 연구팀은 100mSv 이하도 백혈병 사망률이 늘어난다는 조사 결과를 이미 발표한 바 있지만 이번에는 폐암과 위암, 간암 등 백혈병을 제외한 암 전체의 사망률 증가를 추가로 확인했다고 한다. 연구팀은 영국, 미국, 프랑스 원전과 핵연료 시설 등지에서 1944~2005년 사이에 1년 이상 근무한 약 30만 8,300명 중 백혈병이 아닌 암으로 사망한 1만 9,064명을 대상으로 피폭량과의 관계를 분석했다. 모든 작업원의 피폭 총량은 평균 20.9mSv에 상당한 수준이었다. 분석한 결과 피폭 없이 암으로 사망할 가능성을 1로 한다면 1mSv 피폭할 때마다 사망률이 5/10,000 정도 증가할 것으로 추산되며 상승률은 지금까지 알려진 고선량 자료와 동일했다고 한다. 1만 9,064명 중 209명이 피폭으로 증가한 암 사망률 때문에 사망한 것으로 추정된다고 한다.【교도통신】

 

Abstract

Study question Is protracted exposure to low doses of ionising radiation associated with an increased risk of solid cancer?

Methods In this cohort study, 308 297 workers in the nuclear industry from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States with detailed monitoring data for external exposure to ionising radiation were linked to death registries. Excess relative rate per Gy of radiation dose for mortality from cancer was estimated. Follow-up encompassed 8.2 million person years. Of 66 632 known deaths by the end of follow-up, 17 957 were due to solid cancers.

Study answer and limitations Results suggest a linear increase in the rate of cancer with increasing radiation exposure. The average cumulative colon dose estimated among exposed workers was 20.9 mGy (median 4.1 mGy). The estimated rate of mortality from all cancers excluding leukaemia increased with cumulative dose by 48% per Gy (90% confidence interval 20% to 79%), lagged by 10 years. Similar associations were seen for mortality from all solid cancers (47% (18% to 79%)), and within each country. The estimated association over the dose range of 0-100 mGy was similar in magnitude to that obtained over the entire dose range but less precise. Smoking and occupational asbestos exposure are potential confounders; however, exclusion of deaths from lung cancer and pleural cancer did not affect the estimated association. Despite substantial efforts to characterise the performance of the radiation dosimeters used, the possibility of measurement error remains.

What this study adds The study provides a direct estimate of the association between protracted low dose exposure to ionising radiation and solid cancer mortality. Although high dose rate exposures are thought to be more dangerous than low dose rate exposures, the risk per unit of radiation dose for cancer among radiation workers was similar to estimates derived from studies of Japanese atomic bomb survivors. Quantifying the cancer risks associated with protracted radiation exposures can help strengthen the foundation for radiation protection standards.

 

Funding, competing interests, data sharing Support from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan; Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire; AREVA; Electricité de France; US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; US Department of Energy; and Public Health England. Data are maintained and kept at the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

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http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h5359

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