[Federal Register: May 30, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 103)]
[Notices]
[Page 30016-30017]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30my07-86]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
National Cancer Institute; Proposed Collection; Comment
Requested; Study to Improve Thyroid Doses from Fallout Exposure in
Kazakhstan
SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment
on proposed data collection projects, the National Cancer Institute
(NCI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will publish periodic
summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval of the information
collection listed below. This proposed information collection was
previously published in the Federal Register on January 18, 2007, pages
2286-2287 and allowed 60-days for public comment. No public comments
were received. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30
days for public comment. The National Institutes of Health may not
conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to,
an information collection that has been extended, revised, or
implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently
valid OMB control number.
Proposed Collection
Title: Study to improve thyroid doses from fallout exposure in
Kazakhstan, Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer
Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI). This is a
dose reconstruction effort. Additional data will be acquired to improve
on published estimates of individual internal and external radiation
dose and better characterize the underlying dose uncertainties for
individuals exposed as children to radioactive fallout from nuclear
tests conducted at the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS) in
Kazakhstan during the 1950s. Village residents near the test site
received high doses of internal and external radiation to the thyroid
gland (up to 10 Gy for internal and 0.6 Gy for external radiation) as a
result of multiple nuclear tests. Internal radiation exposure occurred
primarily through consumption of milk and other dairy products from
animals grazing on pastures contaminated with radioactive iodine. The
external dose received by individuals was a function of the exposure
rate when the fallout was deposited, shielding provided by buildings
and the number of hours spent outdoors on a daily basis. Collection
from small focus groups of persons who were young adults at the time of
the nuclear tests of specific information about children's milk
consumption and time spent indoors and outdoors, shielding, and
pasturing and feeding of dairy animals for the months following the
nuclear tests will allow dosimetrists to evaluate and change, as
appropriate, the current assumptions and input values for the
parameters of the dose estimation model. The new data will allow more
objective model assumptions and result in a more informed
characterization of uncertainty.
Type of information collection request: NEW. The Kazakhstan
population was exposed to high levels of radiation from external as
well as internal sources, unlike the vast majority of persons living
downwind from the Chernobyl accident who were exposed only to
radioactive isotopes of ingested and inhaled iodine. Availability of
accurate dose estimates will allow evaluation of the relative
biological effectiveness (RBE) of internal vs. external radiation
exposures in terms of thyroid disease risk within a single population.
The conditions of fallout exposure in Kazakhstan are directly relevant
to conditions following a hypothetical nuclear accident or a terrorist
attack involving high levels of local fallout.
Need and Use of Information Collection: NCI proposes a small-scale
field study to acquire new data to improve published estimates of
internal and external radiation doses to individuals exposed to fallout
from nuclear tests conducted at the SNTS during 1949-1962.
Retrospective information about factors influencing radiation dose to
the thyroid gland in children of two distinct ethnic groups (Kazakh and
Russian) will be collected using focus group interviews. New data to be
collected on milk and milk product consumption, time typically spent
outdoors, radiation shielding provided by dwellings and other
buildings, and seasonal practices of pasturing and supplemental feeding
of dairy animals at the time of the nuclear tests will enable
dosimetrists to address key weaknesses in the current dosimetry models.
Since the objective is to estimate group-specific mean values (and
ranges) and not to collect individual data, focus groups are better
suited than conventional in-depth individual interviews. Focus group
members will be recruited from among women and men who speak Russian or
Kazakh and have a verified history of residence in the village at the
time of the nuclear tests. In each village, three groups of 8 women,
age 70 or older, who had children or provided care to other children
(e.g., younger siblings, nieces and nephews) who were under age 21 at
the time of the nuclear tests will be enrolled. In each village, 8 men,
age 70 or older, who were engaged in farming and the care of dairy
animals at the time of the nuclear tests will be enrolled.
Frequency of Response: Once. Affected Public: Individual and
household. Type of Respondent: Women and men, age 70 or older.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 128. Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 1. Average Burden Hours per Response: 2.0. Annual Burden
Hours Requested: 85.3.
Table 1.--Estimates of Annualized Hour Burden to Respondents
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Number of Frequency of Average hours Total hours (3 Annual hour
Type of respondent respondents response per response yr) burden
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Focus group
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Kazakhstan villagers (adults) 128 1 1.9 243 81.1
>=70 yrs old)..................
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[[Page 30017]]
Post-focus group evaluation
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Kazakhstan villagers (adults 128 1 0.1 13 4.3
>=70 yrs old)..................
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Total....................... 128 1 2.0 256 85.3
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There are no capital, operating or maintenance costs to report.
Request For Comments
Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected
agencies are invited on one or more of the following points: (1)
Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the
proposed performance of the functions of the agency, including whether
the information shall have practical utility; (2) The accuracy of the
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who are to respond, including the
use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and
instruments, contact Dr. Kiyohiko Mabuchi, Principal Investigator,
National Cancer Institute, Executive Plaza South, Room 7038, MSC 7238,
Bethesda, Maryland 20852, or call non-toll free number 301-594-7469 or
FAX your request, including your address to 301-402-0207.
Comments Due Date
Comments regarding this information collection are best assured of
having their full effect if received within 30 days of this
publication.
Dated: May 21, 2007.
Rachelle Ragland-Greene,
NCI Project Clearance Liaison, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E7-10331 Filed 5-29-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P