Biological estimates of dose to inhabitants of Belarus and Ukraine following the Chernobyl accident.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how well various assays on blood can detect radiation dose to people exposed many years previously and, if possible, to estimate that dose. The assays were applied to persons resident close to Chernobyl in 1986. Blood samples were taken 13-15 years after the reactor accident. The assays used were the frequencies of lymphocyte chromosomal translocations, micronuclei, HPRT mutations and apoptotic cells. Translocation yields in the exposed groups were marginally higher than in their respective controls, leading to dose estimates of about 0.2 Gy but with large uncertainties. All other assays showed inconsistency from person to person or other variations apparently not related to dose. The measurement of translocations, it is concluded, is the biological method of choice for retrospective dosimetry.
Edwards
A
A
National Radiological Protection Board, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0RQ, UK. alan.edwards@nrpb.org
Voisin
P
P
Sorokine-Durm
I
I
Maznik
N
N
Vinnikov
V
V
Mikhalevich
L
L
Moquet
J
J
Lloyd
D
D
Delbos
M
M
Durand
V
V
D000328:Adult; D001822:Body Burden; D047852:Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015162:Micronucleus Tests / Q000379:methods*; D011210:Power Plants; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D002094:Republic of Belarus / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014455:Ukraine / Q000453:epidemiology
D011868:Radioisotopes