Database of the Cohort of Workers of the Siberian Chemical Plant Exposed to Uranium Compounds

Abstract

Introduction: Uranium, the basic raw material of the nuclear industry, poses health risks to people occupationally exposed to its compounds. Studies of adverse effects of radiation exposure in workers of nuclear facilities necessitate a cohort of employees handling uranium compounds. Objective: To form a historic cohort and create a database of the personnel of the Siberian Chemical Plant exposed to uranium compounds at workplaces in 1953–2000. Materials and methods: The source of information was the Regional Health and Dosimetry Register of the Seversk Biophysical Research Center, containing data on all current and former employees of the Siberian Chemical Plant (ca. 65,000 people) from the date of establishment of the company to the present. Results: We have created and described a cohort of 1,484 workers (898 men and 586 women) exposed to uranium compounds at the Siberian Chemical Plant in 1953–2000. Health and dosimetry information of the cohort members was entered in a specially developed database of the personnel of the Siberian Chemical Plant engaged in works with uranium compounds during that time period. Conclusion: Both the retrospective cohort and the detailed database allow epidemiological studies of cancer incidence and mortality in the industry workers and evidence-based conclusions about the contribution of occupational exposure to uranium compounds. The cohort of employees of the Siberian Chemical Plant meets all the requirements of up-to-date epidemiological studies in terms of its size and completeness of health and exposure data.