A Retrospective Evaluation of the Dosimetry Employed in an International Combined Epidemiological Study

Abstract

Historical methods and practices for measuring and recording radiation dose were critically reviewed in order to evaluate the comparability of recorded dose in a combined epidemiological study of cancer risk among nuclear industry workers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The study, co-coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, was undertaken to estimate directly the carcinogenic risk following protracted exposure to low levels of radiation. The approach used and the results of the dosimetry evaluation are described. Overall, recorded dose estimates were judged to be comparable across facilities and time for the majority of workers who were exposed predominantly to higher energy (100 keV or more) photons.