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 |