Publication Laka-library:
The Techa River Cohort: Study Design and Follow-up Methods (2005)
| Author | M.M.Kossenko, RRS |
| Date | 2005 |
| Classification | 2.34.8.80/13 (RUSSIA - MAYAK/CHELYABINSK (incl. Disaster Kyshtym Urals 1957)) |
| Front | 
|
From the publication:
The Techa River Cohort: Study Design and Follow-up Methods INTRODUCTION The Mayak Production Association, located in the Southern Ural Mountains in Russia about 100 km northwest of Chelyabinsk city, began operating its first atomic reactor and radiochemical plant for plutonium separation in 1948. The process of plutonium separation resulted in the accumulation of a large amount of liquid waste consisting of mixtures of radionuclides. There were two approaches to waste management: (1) concentration and storage of high-level waste in specially designed tanks and (2) discharges of liquid waste into the Techa River (1). Between 1949 and 1956, an estimated 76 million m3 of radioactive waste with total activity of 1017 Bq (2.75 million Ci) was discharged into the Techa River (2). About 95% of the waste was released during the period from March 1950 to November 1951. As a result of this contamination, residents of the villages located along the banks of the Techa River were exposed to varying levels of long-lived radionuclides, principally 90Sr and 137Cs, over a prolonged period. Dispensary 1, the predecessor of the current Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine (URCRM), was established in 1955 to provide specialized health services to persons exposed to this environmental radiation contamination (3). To learn about chronic radiation exposure, a cohort of people living in Techa riverside villages was established. With more than 50 years of follow-up, this cohort provides a unique opportunity to assess a large range of health effects associated with chronic, low- dose-rate, internal and external exposures to ionizing radiation. In this paper we define the study cohort, describe the methods used to identify and follow this population for cancer mortality and incidence, and provide a description of current follow-up status. Solid cancer and leukemia mortality risk estimates are presented in a companion paper (4). This research is being carried out under the approval of the URCRM institutional review board.
This publication is only available at Laka on paper, not as pdf.
You can borrow the publication or request a copy. When we're available, this is possible for a small fee.