Health Status and Cancer Related Mortality among Nuclear Plant Workers Exposed to Ionizing Radiation

Abstract

The investigation of potential adverse health effects of occupational exposures to ionizing radiation, on nuclear plant workers, is an important area of research. In this study, we aimed to calculate the incidence and risk of cancer development and mortality during last five years (2015-2019). 456 nuclear industry workers were included into this study (39 cancer patients and 417 healthy). For this cohort, the cancer mortality has been assessed by data obtained from national health registry excluded for the probability of known causes of death. The associations between cumulative occupational radiation exposures (radon, gamma radiation and long-lived radionuclides) and cancer mortality were calculated. Radon and Gamma exposure was significantly higher among workers who developed cancer [8.4 (0; 3,224.5) vs. 19.7 (0; 128.4), p=0.03] and [12.0 (2.1; 110.0) vs. 24.5 (0; 470.1), p=0.02]. However, no significant association was found between long-lived radionuclides and risk of cancer (p=0.07).