You are here

The cycle of works "Evidence-based epidemiological studies to determine the radiation risk to health and safety standards justification"


Work number - P 37 FILED

Authors: Romanenko A.Yu., Worgul B.V., Dyagil I.S., Naumenko O.M., Skaletskiy Yu.M., Chumak V.V., Bakhanova O.V., Witte P.M., Gudzenko N.A.

The cycle of scientific works consists of 6 scientific monographs and 101 scientific papers published over 22 years. A set of evidence-based methods of epidemiology, including dosimetry (axis "dose" of the "dose-effect" dependence), diagnosis (axis "effects") and risk analysis of the of stochastic effects of radiation exposure in a cohort of clean-up workers after the Chornobyl NPP accident.

For the first time a unique comprehensive study was conducted in one of the most exposed Chernobyl cohorts to determine the radiation risks of remote biological effects of radiation exposure – cataracts and leukemia. The works cycle significantly deepened knowledge about the causal relationship between exposure of human organs to different types of ionizing radiation (gamma and gamma + beta) and the occurrence of distant effects of radiation – leukemia and cataracts, respectively.

As a result of analytical epidemiological studies risk coefficients have been evaluated providing a quantitative assessment of the effects of exposure to certain doses of ionizing radiation on the occurrence of distant medical and biological effects of radiation. 

To ensure the highest evidence of the results, a comprehensive approach was developed that included the reconstruction and verification of individual doses, standardized clinical criteria as well as diagnostic techniques and materials,  statistical power and reliability of radiation risks estimates. The main practical result of the works cycle is that new knowledge resulted in a significant (7.5 times) reduction of the lens exposure dose limit adopted by the ICRP, IAEA and EURATOM.The world class results enriched sciense, have gained international recognition and influenced on establishing new safe dose limits, and thus - on the international system of radiation safety.

The research results are presented in 253 publications , including 6 monographs, 101 papers in peer-reviewed journals (including 46 in foreign ones). The works of authors are cited in more than 15 scientific journals , the general index of articles citing is 873 (according to the Scopus databases), h-index is 18. 1 patent is registered. 4 Doctor of Science and Doctor of Philosophy theses were defended on the subject.