Childhood mortality in Ozyorsk and Snezhinsk (on the basis of the registry of children born in 1974-1988)

«Radiation and Risk», 2002, vol. 13, pp.45-52

Authors

Petrushkina N.P., Koshurnikova N.A., Okatenko P.V., Kabirova N.R., Kuropatenko E.S.¹
Branch No. 1 of the State Research Center of the Russian Federation – Biophysics Institute.
¹Russian Federal Nuclear Center - Russian Research Institute of Theoretical physics

Abstract

Analysis has been conducted on the basis of the registry of children of the towns of Ozyorsk and Snezhinsk. The differences between these towns are associated with different distances from the PA “Mayak” and, correspondingly, different doses of radiation exposure resulting from living in the vicinity of the operating nuclear complex. Infant mortality and childhood mortality between 1 and 15 years of age were studied in the cohort of children born in 1974-1988. The average value of effective dose due to the Mayak operations was 2.2 mSv (the range 0.05-3.4 mSv) in Ozyorsk and 1.3 mSv (0.07-2.0) in Snezhinsk. No significant differences were observed in the infant mortality and mortality from all causes at the age 1-15 years between Ozyorsk and Snezhinsk. The pattern of mortality was similar in the two towns. Endogenous causes (specific states of the perinatal period and congenital malformations) were the most common causes of infant mortality in both towns. The three most important causes of death between 1 and 15 years of age were traumas and poisonings, neoplasms and respiratory diseases. Cancer mortality in the cohort of children who attained 15 years of age is 9.6 (in Ozyorsk) and 4.9 (in Sne-zhinsk) deaths per 105 person-years, leukemia mortality 3.7 and 2.4 deaths per 105 person-years, respectively. No differences were observed be- tween the mortality in the subcohort of children of the Mayak workers and in the control subcohort. A number of uncertainties and plans for future research are discussed.

Key words
Mortality analysis, dose of man-made radiation, population, radiation impact, nuclear enterprise, effective dose, infant mortality, children of Mayak PA employees, control subcort.

References

1. Koshel I.V., Rumyantsev A.G. State of health of children exposed to small doses of radiation, 1 year after the Chernobyl accident. Pediatrics. 1991. No. 12. PP. 13-16.

2. Shimizu J., Kato H., Shull W.J. Life span study. Report II. Part 2. Cancer mortality in the years 1950-85 based on the recently revised doses (DS86). Technical Report RERF TR 5-88. 102 р.

3. Cook-Mozaffari P.J., Doll R. et al. Geographical variation in mortality from leukemia and other cancers in England and Wales in relation to proximity to nuclear installations, 1969-78. Brit. J. Cancer. 1989. Vol. 59. PP. 476-485.

4. Forman D., Cook-Mozaffari P.J., Darby S.C. et al. Cancer near nuclear installations. Nature. 1987. Vol. 329. PP. 499-505.

5. Gardner M.J., Snee M.P., Hall A.J. et al. Results of case-control study of leukemia and lymphoma among young people near Sellafield nuclear plant in West Cumbria. Brit. Med. J. 1990. No. 300. PP. 423-429.

6. The population of the USSR. 1987: Statistical compilation. Goskomstat of the USSR. Moscow: Finance and Statistics, 1988. 439 p.

7. Drozhko E.G., Khokhryakov V.V. Irradiation of residents of Chelyabinsk-65, associated with emissions to the atmosphere of iodine-131 Radiation and Risk. 1995. Issue. 5. pp. 159-162.

8. Gracheva A.G. Some Medical Aspects of Infant Mortality in the Russian Federation. Questions of protection of motherhood of childhood. 1991. No. 12. PP. 35-38.

9. Shmurun R.I., Markovich V.B. Nosological structure of perinatal and late neonatal mortality. Questions of protection of motherhood of childhood. 1987. No. 10. P. 70.

10. Muchiev G., Frolova O. Protection of the health of the fetus and newborn in the USSR. Moscow, Medicine Publ., 1979. 302 p.

11. Ignatyeva R.K. Dynamics and regional differences in infant mortality in the USSR. Socio-hygienic problems of medicine. Minsk, 1989. PP. 57-58.

12. Ryabtseva I.T., Polyakova I.V., Petrova N.G. Early neonatal mortality and ways to reduce it. Ibidem. PP. 124-125.

Full-text article (in Russian)