Radiation Protection Dosimetry Advance Access originally published online on December 7, 2004
Radiation Protection Dosimetry 2005 113(1):3-13; doi:10.1093/rpd/nch417
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Chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes of peripheral blood among Mayak facility workers who inhaled insoluble forms of 239PU
1 Southern Urals Biophysics Institute (SUBI), P.O. Box 456780, Ozyorsk, Russia
2 Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, 2425 Ridgecrest Drive SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108, USA
3 The Production Association Mayak, P.O. Box 456780, Ozyorsk, Russia
* Corresponding author: fib1ko{at}chel-65.chel.su
A cytogenetic study was performed on 79 plutonium (Pu) workers chronically exposed to alpha radiation from inhaled, low-transportable (insoluble) compounds of airborne 239Pu and to external gamma rays. Body burden estimates for 239Pu ranged from 0 to 15.5 kBq. Chromosomal aberrations (CAs) (stable and unstable) among peripheral blood lymphocytes and cumulative alpha radiation doses were evaluated
25 y after first contact with 239Pu. For the cytogenetic analyses, a standard two-day peripheral blood lymphocyte culture technique was applied. While alpha radiation doses continually increase up to the time of cytogenetic measurements, significant gamma ray exposures essentially ceased long before the time of measurement, so that alpha and gamma doses were not correlated. For the exposed workers, the mean 239Pu body burden (estimate), evaluated at the time of the cytogenetic measurement, was 1.23 ± 0.26 kBq and the corresponding mean absorbed external gamma ray dose (estimate) to the total body was 0.076 ± 0.009 Gy. Single and multivariate regression analyses were performed on the CA data. Stable, unstable and total aberrations increased as the 239Pu body burden increased over the range 04.5 kBq. However, above this range little additional increase was observed. CAs were weakly correlated with time since the first intake of 239Pu. No relationship between chromatid aberrations and 239Pu incorporation was found. Unstable (but not stable) aberrations were correlated with gamma radiation dose. No significant relationship of CA and smoking was found.