Abstract
The mortality of all 14,282 workers employed at the Sellafield plant of British Nuclear Fuels between 1947 and 1975 was studied up to the end of 1988 and cancer incidence was examined from 1971 to 1986. This updates a previous report on mortality only up to the end of 1983. Ninety-nine per cent of the workers were traced satisfactorily. Cancer mortality was 4% less than that of England and Wales [standardised mortality ratio (SMR) = 96; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 90,103] and the same as that of Cumbria (SMR = 100: Cl = 94,107). Cancer incidence was 10% less than that of England and Wales [standardised registration ratio (SRR) = 90; Cl = 83.97] and 18% less than that of Northern Region (SRR = 82; Cl = 75.88). Cancer mortality rates were significantly in excess of national rates for cancers of the pleura (nine observed, 2.6 expected; P = 0.001), thyroid (six observed, 1.8 expected; P = 0.01) and ill defined and secondary sites (53 observed, 39.2 expected; P = 0.02). There were significant deficits of cancers of the liver and gall bladder, larynx and lung. Among radiation workers there were significant positive correlations between accumulated radiation dose and mortality from cancers of ill-defined and secondary sites (10 year lag: P = 0.01) and for leukaemia (2 year lag: P = 0.009), but not for cancers of the pleura and thyroid cancer. Previous findings of such associations with multiple myeloma and bladder cancer were less strong. There was a significant excess of incident cases of cancer of the oesophagus (P = 0.01), but this was not associated with accumulated radiation dose. For cancers other than leukaemia, the dose-response risk estimates were below those of the adult atomic bomb survivors, but the 90% confidence interval included risks of zero and of 2-3 times higher. For leukaemia (12 deaths, excluding CLL), under an excess relative risk model, the risk estimate derived for the Sellafield workers was about four times higher than that for the adult atomic bomb survivors with a confidence interval ranging from a half to nearly 20 times that of the atomic bomb survivors. Overall, however, there was no excess of leukaemia among the workers compared with national rates.
Highlights
Persons exposed to ionising radiations are at increased risk of cancer
The radiation doses that have been accumulated by workers at the Sellafield plant, since it opened in 1947, are higher, on average, than those experienced by workers at other nuclear facilities in the UK
We have reported previously on the mortality, up to 1984, of all those who worked at the plant at any time between 1947 and 1975 (Smith & Douglas, 1986) and we have studied the mortality of this group up to 1989 and cancer incidence between 1971 and 1986
Summary
We have described previously the study population, the nature and sources of radiation exposure data, and the Correspondence: P.G. The study population consisted of all workers first employed by BNFL at the Sellafield plant at any time between the date it opened, in 1947, and 1 January 1976. The number of such workers was given in our previous paper as 14,327. Since BNFL staff have made further checks of medical and personnel records held by BNFL to obtain additional information on workers who could not be adequately identified for tracing purposes and to check the completeness of the study population. As a result of these checks, the names of 14 workers have been added and 59 have been removed, giving a revised study population of 14,282 workers (Table I). Forty-one per cent of those in the study population had the job classification 'non-industrial worker' (managerial, scientific and clerical staff); the remainder were classified as 'industrial workers'
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