Techa River Population Research Articles

External dose reconstruction at the shore of the Metlinsky Pond in the former village of Metlino (Techa River, Russia) based on environmental surveys, luminescence measurements and radiation transport modelling.

The cohorts of people formerly living at the Techa River shoreline in the Southern Urals, Russia, are widely studied cohorts for the investigation of low-dose radiation effects to human health. The nuclear facilities of the Mayak Production Association (PA) discharged their radioactive effluents into the nearby Techa River, especially in the first years of operation. Health status of cohort member data is constantly being improved and updated. Consequently, there is a need to also improve and verify the underlying dosimetry, which gives information about the dose of cohort members. For the Techa River population, the dosimetry is handled in the Techa River Dosimetry System (TRDS). The present work shows results of a feasibility study to validate the TRDS at the location of the village of Metlino, a village just 7km downstream from the Mayak PA. For this settlement there were two sources of external exposure, the contaminated banks of the Techa River and the contaminated shoreline of the nearby Metlinsky Pond. In the present study the north-western wall of a granary was used as a dose archive to validate dose estimates. Measurements of doses in brick accumulated over many decades and measurements of the current dose rate in bricks were combined with dose rate measurements in air above ground in front of the granary, historical contamination data and Monte-Carlo simulations. Air kerma estimates for 1949-1956 significantly different from zero could not be reconstructed for the Metlinsky Pond shoreline near the granary, but an upper dose limit could be estimated. Implications for TRDS-2016 are discussed.

Approaches to the assessment of completeness and quality of the registry of exposed population offspring

Uncertainties of radiation risk of late radiation exposure effects in humans are to a great extent determined by completeness and quality of epidemiological data. The registry of the studied cohort is of fundamental importance for the cohort studies. Particular difficulties appear in the course of development of the exposed population offspring registry as these people in contrast to their parents were not affected by radiation exposure. The formation of the cohort of the exposed population offspring has its peculiarities and requires evaluation of its completeness and quality. The objective of this research is to study the value of the sex ratio as a possible criterion to assess the completeness and quality of the registry of the Techa River Cohort offspring. The register of descendants of the irradiated population at the end of 2019 included information on 25930 persons. The formation of the register of descendants of the population irradiated on the Techa River was started in the mid-1950s. At the same time, various documents were used to confirm the fact of birth of a child in irradiated persons. In the Techa River population the proportion of offspring with exposed mother and unexposed father is 22.2%, those with exposed father and unexposed mother made up 13.9%; the proportion of in utero exposed offspring is 44.6%. In accordance to the widely accepted published data it was to be expected that the number of male 1st-generation offspring in the cohort would be lower. However, the results of the conducted research show no changes in the sex ratio among offspring relative to the population-based control. Moreover, it was stated that the sex ratio in the population of the 1st-generation offspring of the exposed residents of the Techa River settlements should not be viewed as secondary. The assumption about the influence of the pre-conceptional exposure of the parents as well as that of the in utero exposure on changes in the sex ratio was not confirmed. It is shown that the decrease in the value of the sex ratio is associated with misreporting of the male 1st -generation offspring who died in childhood and at young age. The value of the sex ratio in groups formed based on the character and dose of exposure, depended mainly on the source of information used in the course of the offspring registry development.

Peculiarities of the resettlement of the first generation offspring of the exposed Techa River population

The objective of this study was to assess main regularities of resettlement of the first generation offspring of the exposed Techa River population. In the given paper the information on places and periods of residence of the population exposed on the Techa River and their offspring, obtained from the medical-dosimetric database of the URCRM was used. Groups of the first generation offspring of exposed people living at various distances from the Techa River were identified. Main regularities of resettlement of a large group of offspring of the exposed Techa River population (26 300 persons) over the period 1950-2010 were revealed. Chelyabinsk Oblast is the main resettlement area of the first generation offspring of the exposed Techa River population. The proportion of offspring living outside of their primary resettlement area is gradually increasing. Offspring outflow from the Kurgan Oblast is greater than that from the Chelyabinsk Oblast. The main part (45.9%) of the first generation offspring of the exposed Techa River population alive as of 2010 was gathered in cities. Migration of the exposed population promoted increase in the number of marriages between exposed and unexposed persons, to the birth of offspring whose one parent (either mother or father) was exposed and led to decrease in the number of offspring whose both parents were exposed. In the current study for the first time peculiarities of resettlement of two generation of people residing on radioactively-contaminated territories, exposed people and their offspring, were compared. Marked differences in the nature of resettlement of the Techa River exposed population offspring relative to their parents were registered. Offspring migrated more frequently, which is expressed in the increase in their proportion in cities up to 45.9% as compared to that of exposed persons – 30.8% (p<0.001). At the same time the proportion of the first generation offspring of the exposed Techa River population, who reside in Techa riverside settlements, is decreasing as compared to that of the exposed persons. In contrast to first generation offspring alive as of 2010, a bigger part of deceased offspring as of 2010 (30.7%) was registered in Techa riverside villages.

Geogenic and anthropogenic impacts on indoor radon in the Techa River region

Indoor radon concentration was studied in the 14 settlements located near the Techa River, which was contaminated by radioactive wastes in 1950-s. Results of the radon survey were used for analysis of the relationship between the indoor radon and main geologic factors (Pre-Jurassic formations, Quaternary sediments and faults), local geogenic radon potential and anthropogenic factors. Main influencing factors explain 58% of the standard deviation of indoor radon concentration. Association of the air exchange influence over radon concentration with underlying geological media was related to different contributions of geogenic advective and diffusive radon entries. The properties of geological formation to transfer radon gas in interaction with the house can be considered within the radon geogenic potential concept. The study of the radon exposure of the Techa River population can be used to estimate the contribution of natural radon to the overall radiation exposure of the local population during the period of radioactive waste discharges.

An approach to reduction of uncertainties in internal doses reconstructed for the Techa river population

A methodology was developed for reduction of uncertainties in estimates of internal dose for residents of the Techa Riverside communities, who were exposed as a result of releases of radionuclides from the Mayak plutonium production facility in 1949-56. The 'Techa River Dosimetry System' (TRDS) was specifically elaborated for reconstruction of doses. A preliminary analysis of uncertainty for doses estimated using the current version of the TRDS showed large ranges in the uncertainty of internal absorbed dose and led to suggestions of methods to reduce uncertainties. The new methodological approaches described in this paper will allow for significant reduction of uncertainties of 90Sr-dose. The major sources of reduction are: making use of individual measured values of 90Sr and through development of a Household Registry to associate unmeasured persons with measured persons living in the same household(s).

Minisatellite germline mutation rate in the Techa River population

Germline mutation at eight minisatellite loci has been studied among the irradiated families from the Techa River population and non-exposed families from the rural area of the Chelyabinsk and Kurgan Oblasts. The groups were matched by ethnicity, parental age, occupation and smoking habit. A statistically significant 1.7-fold increase in mutation rate was found in the germline of irradiated fathers, whereas maternal germline mutation rate in the exposed families was not elevated. Most of the minisatellite loci showed an elevated paternal mutation rate in the exposed group, indicating a generalised increase in minisatellite germline mutation rate in the Techa River population. These data suggest that the elevated minisatellite mutation rate can be attributed to radioactive exposure. The spectra of paternal mutation seen in the unexposed and exposed families were indistinguishable.

Development of an Improved Dose Reconstruction System for the Techa River Population Affected by the Operation of the Mayak Production Association

The Techa River Dosimetry System (TRDS) has been developed to provide estimates of dose received by approximately 30,000 members of the Extended Techa River Cohort (ETRC). Members of the ETRC were exposed beginning in 1949 to significant levels of external and internal (mainly from (90)Sr) dose but at low to moderate dose rates. Members of this cohort are being studied in an effort to test the hypothesis that exposure at low to moderate dose rates has the same ability to produce stochastic health effects as exposure at high dose rates. The current version of the TRDS is known as TRDS-2000 and is the subject of this paper. The estimated doses from (90)Sr are supported strongly by approximately 30,000 measurements made with a tooth beta-particle counter, measurements of bones collected at autopsy, and approximately 38,000 measurements made with a special whole-body counter that detects the bremsstrahlung from (90)Y. The median doses to the red bone marrow and the bone surface are 0.21 and 0.37 Gy, respectively. The maximum doses to the red bone marrow and bone surface are 2.0 and 5.2 Gy, respectively. Distributions of dose to other organs are provided and are lower than the values given above. Directions for future work are discussed.

An application of in vivo whole body counting technique for studying strontium metabolism and internal dose reconstruction for the Techa River population

Nuclear techniques for direct assessment of internally deposited radionuclides are essential for monitoring and dosimetry of members of the public exposed due to radiation accidents. Selection of the methods for detection of internal contamination is determined by nuclear-physical characteristics of the deposits. For the population living in settlements located along the Techa River contaminated in 1950s by liquid radioactive wastes from the plutonium production complex Mayak (Southern Urals, Russia) the main dose-forming radionuclide was 90Sr. It is a bone-seeking radionuclide that incorporates in the skeleton and remains there for many years so it can be detected for long periods after the intake occurred. Measurements of pure beta-emitting 90Sr are possible through detection of bremsstrahlung from the 90Sr/90Y beta rays in the low energy range (30-160 keV) using phoswich detectors. This suggested the development of a unique whole body counter in 1974 for monitoring of the 90Sr- and 137Cs-body burden in the Techa River population with the use of phoswich detectors. Long-term observations with the WBC covering more than 38,000 measurements on over 20,000 people have been made. This has created a unique database for studying strontium and calcium metabolism and for assessment of the internal dose for residents of the Techa River settlements due to ingestion of 90Sr. This paper describes the main results obtained for the Techa River population essential for bone metabolism and dosimetry, epidemiological studies, and radiation protection.

REPORT FROM THE TECHA RIVER DOSIMETRY REVIEW WORKSHOP HELD ON 8???10 DECEMBER 2003 AT THE STATE RESEARCH CENTRE INSTITUTE OF BIOPHYSICS, MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Large releases of fission products into the Techa River, in the Southern Urals, occurred in 1950 and 1951, during the early years of operation of the Mayak Production Association (Mayak PA), which produced plutonium for nuclear weapons. Increases of leukemia and of solid cancers with radiation dose have been noted in the population of about 30,000 people who lived in the settlements downstream of the site of the radioactive releases; that population has been studied for several decades by Russian scientists, notably in the framework of cooperation with American and European scientists. The radiation doses are currently estimated by means of the Techa River Dosimetry System-2000 (TRDS-2000). Recently, a scientist from Mayak PA has suggested in several publications that the doses calculated using TRDS-2000 might be underestimated substantially. A special international Workshop, held in Moscow on 8-10 December 2003, aimed to resolve some of the pressing issues related to the determination of the external and internal doses received by the Techa River population and to give recommendations on the further development of methodologies used for dose reconstruction. The authors of this article were selected by the organizers of the Workshop to draw the conclusions of the meeting. They express the view that, while the dose reconstruction system TRDS-2000 is basically sound, additional work is needed and the results of any epidemiological studies making use of TRDS-2000 should be qualified as preliminary, pending resolution of several issues. The most important of these issues is the re-evaluation of the activities released, using additional information that could be obtained with the help of Mayak experts. Other specific suggestions aiming to improve the dose reconstruction methodology for the Techa River cohort, i.e., continued measurements of accumulated dose in environmental samples and human tissues, validation of external dose estimates with thermoluminescence measurements of bricks and with electron paramagnetic resonance measurements of teeth, estimation of individual doses instead of group doses, detailed account of the contributions to dose of medical examinations and of other releases from the Mayak complex, and careful assessment of the uncertainties, were made by the meeting participants.

Radioactive contamination in the upper part of the Techa river: stirring-up of bottom sediments and precipitation of suspended particles. Analysis of the data obtained in 1949-1951.

A hydrodynamic model of the upper part of the Techa river was developed on the basis of the river valley geometry as well as data of hydrological conditions and of the granulometric composition of bottom sediments. The model describes the transport of radioactivity by suspended sediments with different granulometric compositions (clay, silt) in the early 1950s. It includes the stirring-up of bottom sediments and the precipitation of suspended sediments as a function of water discharge rate and water level in the investigated part of the river. The results allow to specify the development of the river system contamination as a result of inflow of suspended sediments contaminated with radionuclides. In the period of liquid radioactive waste (LRW) discharges, the water of the Techa river contained a large fraction of finely dispersed particles of less than 5 micro m diameter. At the site of LRW discharge 80% of the discharged activity was adsorbed to these particles. Depending on the water flow, 40-80% of the suspensions precipitated at the bottom of subsequent sedimentation reservoirs. A total of about 1.6 MCi adsorbed to the suspended particles entered the open hydrographic system of the Techa river. The conclusion that the largest part of the activity was adsorbed on the suspended particles contradicts the assumption in the Techa river dosimetry system, TRDS-2000, that most of the released activity entered the Techa river in soluble form. For a correct reconstruction of the doses received by the Techa river population it is, therefore, essential to consider hydrodynamic models that take into account the transport of radionuclides adsorbed on the suspended particles.

A reconsideration of the external dose assessment for the Techa river population.

A new methodology is employed to infer the time course of the external dose rate that affected the Techa riverside population. This was accomplished using information on the radionuclide composition of released radioactive waste and from earlier and current data on the degree of the river floodplain contamination with (137)Cs. The new approach is proposed for use in the dose reconstruction. Compared to current assumptions it indicates a considerably higher dose contribution due to short-lived fission products from the predominant peak of contamination in 1951. Relative to the present Techa river dosimetry system (TRDS-2000) this information may increase the external dose estimates several fold and correspondingly reduce the solid cancer risk estimate.

Radioecological impact from radionuclide releases into the rivers

Absract. The radiological impacts from radionuclide releases into Techa, and Yenisei Rivers in Russia are discussed. The dose assessments for human and natural biota are calculated using the methodology of multiple pathways of exposure. In the Mayak complex area the collective dose to the Techa River population during 19491956 was 6,200 man-Sv. The collective dose from radioactive discharges of the Krasnoyarsk complex into Yenisei River during the period 1958-1991 was about 1,200 man-Sv. A major contributor to this dose was consumption of the fish from Yenisei River (about 70 %). The doses to the natural biota are considerably higher than those to humans by a factor of 10-1000. This difference is most pronounced in the periods of significant radioactive releases. Especially high levels of exposure to biota were demonstrated for Techa River in the period of maximum discharges of radionuclides. A dose rate level of 10 mGy/day to natural biota was exceeded.

Strontium Transfer from Maternal Skeleton to the Fetus Estimated on the Basis of the Techa River Data

Measurements of 90Sr in human bone of inhabitants of the Techa river region were started in 1951, and since 1974 the Techa river population has been studied with a whole-body counter. One of the dosimetric tasks that could be decided using data on 90Sr measurements is direct evaluation of strontium transfer to the fetus from the maternal skeleton. Six cases were selected for which 90Sr measurements were available both for stillborn infants and their mothers. The ratio of 90Sr concentrations in fetal bone to maternal bone for the year of pregnancy has been evaluated. Two clusters of values were found and the difference between clusters could be explained by age-dependent features of maternal bone formation and remodelling. When the mother's 90Sr intake occurred in the period of intensive compact bone growth, the transfer coefficient was very low (0.012-0.032). If 90Sr ingestion occurred during the woman's reproductive age, the transfer to fetus was equal to 0.21-0.26.

FISH-based analysis of stable translocations in a Techa River population

Purpose: Measurements of symmetrical translocations by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were performed for retrospective biodosimetry in a Techa River population exposed to external (gamma -rays) and internal (90Sr, 137Cs) irradiation. Materials and methods: Chromosome analyses were carried out on peripheral lymphocytes from 73 radiation-exposed residents from settlements along the Techa River (Southern Urals, Russia) located 7-148 km downstream from the site of release of liquid radioactive waste from the plutonium production facility Mayak. Thirty-nine unexposed persons from non-contaminated areas were used as controls. Whole-chromosome painting probes for chromosomes 1, 4 and 12 were used simultaneously with a pancentromeric probe. Results: A significantly elevated mean translocation frequency compared with controls was found for the total study group and for either of two subgroups of inhabitants residing in villages of the upper regions of the Techa River (7-60 km) during 1950 to 1951, or in villages of the lower regions (78-148 km) until the time of blood sampling. Within the first subgroup, subjects born between 1937 and 1949 showed higher translocation frequencies than those born between 1914 and 1936. Collective biodosimetry estimates for the various groups were between 0.24 and 0.54 Gy. Individual dose estimates for seven subjects with at least five translocations ranged between 0.77 and 1.80 Gy and compared well with doses reconstructed on the basis of 90Sr whole-body counts (WBC) and electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements. Individual translocation frequencies from 40 subjects with existing WBC data and calculated cumulative red bone marrow doses below 0.6 Gy fall within the 95% prediction limits of the calibration curve. Conclusions: FISH-based translocation measurements can provide useful information for a retrospective biodosimetric interpretation. However, with the analysed number of cells, individual estimates required for a reliable evaluation of this highly variable exposure situation can be obtained only for a minority of subjects. In addition, influence of a temporal decline on the yield of stable translocations cannot be fully excluded.

SICH-9.1—a unique whole-body counting system for measuring Sr-90 via bremsstrahlung. The main results from a long-term investigation of the Techa River population

A unique body counting system (SICH-9.1) has been constructed which allows an in vivo determination of body burdens of Sr-90 with high accuracy. To date about half of the population residing in the Techa River basin has been examined using this counting system. The information on the dependence of Sr-90 content in the human body on time, age and sex presents a unique basis for studies of metabolism of this element. The data base containing the findings of the above-described measurements has established a foundation for the reconstruction of individual and collective doses in the Techa River population.

Pregnancy outcome and early health status of children born to the Techa river population

As a result of contamination of the river Techa by fission products in 1949–1956, the residents of the riverside villages were exposed to external and internal irradiation. The average gonadal dose in the study cohort of 28 100 people is estimated to be 0.16 Sv. No decrease in fertility and birth rate was detected. The gonadal doubling dose ranges calculated for the incidence of stillbirths, miscarriages, early neonatal mortality and lethal developmental defects was found to be rather high, ranging from 0.2 to 4.8 Sv.

Cancer mortality and radiation risk evaluation for the Techa river population

The current nominal risk coefficients for radiation induced cancer are predominantly based on the follow-up of the atomic bomb survivors, i.e. a collective of persons exposed to a short duration, high dose rate exposure. It is one of the central issues in radiation protection, whether these data are representative also for protracted, low dose rate exposures. The International Commission for Radiological Protection has postulated a dose and dose rate reduction factor in the derivation of the nominal risk coefficients; but this factor has been debated. Direct observations on populations that were subjected to prolonged low dose exposures are, therefore, of especial interest, and a major contribution to the problem may result from the long term observation of the population exposed at the beginning of the 1950s as a result of massive releases of fission products by a plutonium producing facility into the Techa river in the southern Urals [1,2]. The present article deals with the cancer mortality in this population during the period 1950–1982.