Probability of Causation Between Cancer and Occupational Exposure among Nuclear Workers in Bulgaria

Nina Chobanova and Jana Djounova

National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Sofia, Bulgaria

Corresponding authors: Nina Chobanova, MD, PhD and Jana Djounova, MD
    National Center of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection
    132 "Kl. Ohridsky" blvd.
    1756 Sofía, Bulgaria
    E-mails: chobanovani@gmail.com, jdjounova@ncrrp.org

CEJOEM 2008, Vol.14. No.3.: 291-298


Key words:
Nuclear Power Plant, cancer, employees, probability of causation


Abstract:
Individuals, working with ionizing radiation (IR) sources are exposed to continuous radiation with low doses and low dose rate. The assessment method of the Probability of Causation (PC) provides possibility to determine the causative connection between occupational exposure and consequent radiation-dependent cancer. An analysis of the probability for a causative connection with the radiation was carried out for 27 people having individual dosimetric card. The probability of such a connection depends on the duration of the employment period in an IR environment, the cumulative dose for that period, age and sex of the employee and the latent period for the corresponding localization. Data has been processed with a software product “Survrad”. The present study did not find a causative relation between cancer and a previous occupational radiation received through normal work. The results show that the doses and the dose rates obtained by the workers of the Nuclear Power Plant are low, typical for nuclear workers.


Received: 12 December 2008
Accepted: 22 May 2009

| Back |