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Description:

This analytic data file set consists of one file generated for a cohort mortality study by Ed Frome, et al., published in Radiation Research in 1990, of white males who worked at the Oak Ridge facilities during World War II (WWII).

This study demonstrated that Poisson regression methods can effectively describe the effect of multiple risk factors on cause- specific mortality. The cohort was defined as 28,008 white males who were employed for at least 1 month at any one of the three Oak Ridge facilities. Between 1943 and 1947, two of the facilities (Y-12 and K-25) produced enriched uranium. The third facility, Oak Ridge National Laboratory was a research and development facility. During WWII, radiation monitoring programs were in developmental stages; only persons considered likely to be exposed, or those who were thought to be representative samples of workers likely to be exposed, were monitored. The paper discusses how a modified version of the traditional standardized mortality ratio (SMR) analysis was used to compare the cause-specific mortality experience of these workers with the U.S. population. The SMR for all causes was 1.11, and there was a significant upward trend of 0.74% per year. The excess mortality was primarily due to lung cancer and diseases of the respiratory system.

The single analytic file (PHASE1B) in this data file set contains 28,008 records, one for each person in the cohort. Each record consists of demographic, vital status, and work history data and external exposure indicators. The indicators were used as surrogates for external exposure data and were determined by analyzing job title and department combinations, categorizing each combination by risk of exposure.

The cohort included only those workers who were hired at one of the facilities between the start of operations at that respective facility and December 31, 1947. Each person was considered to have entered the cohort on January 1, 1950. Vital status was ascertained for 98.1% of the cohort through December 31, 1979, the study end date. There were 11,671 deaths identified, and death certificates were obtained for 96.8% of these deaths.

Because radiation monitoring programs were still in developmental stages, complete personal monitoring data for this cohort were not available during the time period. Therefore, exposure indices based on job title and department combinations were developed as surrogates for monitoring data.

Number of data files: 1

Cohort Size: 28008

Providing Organization: Oak Ridge Associated Universities/CER

Creating Organization: Oak Ridge Associated Universities/CER

Originating Organization: Union Carbide Corporation/Nuclear Division

Races: white
Sexes: males

Diseases: all causes

Earliest Exposure: 06/01/1943
Latest Exposure: 12/31/1979
Follow-Up: 12/31/1979

Exposure Type: internal radiation$external radiation
Method: film badge$urinalysis

Sites: Oak Ridge Y-12

Sites: Oak Ridge X-10

Sites: Oak Ridge K-25

Derivation: Cohort was determined by examining data from ORAU/CER Data Model - demographic, work history, and exposure data. Exposure classifications are limit

Contact Information:

Cragle, Dr. Donna
(423) 576-2866
Fax: 423 576-9557
Email: cragled@orau.gov

Dupree, Dr. Betsy
(423) 576-3528
Fax: 423 576-9557
Email: ellisb@orau.gov

CITATION:   CEDR Library ID: 426 (for full bibliographic record)