Epidemiological studies and radiation protection: The potential value of a new study at U.S. nuclear power plants

Abstract

Risk estimates of fatal cancer constitute the principal component of the health detriment after low doses of ionizing radiation protection recommendations by ICRP and NCRP are based upon them. These risks are presently derived from the Life Span Study of the A bomb survivors in Japan and have recently been supported by a number of relatively imprecise studies of occupational exposure of workers in the U.K., in the U.S., and in Russia. Further verification by more precise studies would be most useful. The most promising future study is that of workers in the U.S. nuclear industry, a study which was proposed some years ago (by New York University) and endorsed by a special committee of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Research Council. The study has not yet been undertaken despite its intrinsic capability to yield more precise results than all other worker studies. This paper describes the present status of background risk estimation for radiation protection and urges that the study of workers in the U.S. nuclear power industry be undertaken without further delay.