Office of Compensation Analysis and Support (OCAS)
Dose Reconstruction
OCAS is responsible for conducting occupational radiation dose reconstructions for certain workers with cancer who file claims for compensation under The Act. In accordance with the methods published in 42 CFR 82, dose reconstructions will be performed for covered employees with cancer who are not members of a Special Exposure Cohort (SEC). As defined in The Act, SEC members with certain specified cancers do not require dose reconstructions to qualify for compensation.
The basic principle of dose reconstruction is to characterize the occupational radiation environment to which workers were exposed using available worker and/or workplace monitoring information. In cases where radiation exposures in the workplace environment can not be fully characterized based on available data, default values based on reasonable scientific assumptions are used as substitutes.
The results of worker dose reconstructions will be used by the Department
of Labor to determine the probability that a worker's
cancer was "at least as likely as not" due to his or her
occupational exposure to ionizing radiation during employment
at a covered facility. Criteria and
guidelines for making this determination are established
by The Act and HHS under 42
CFR 81.
Disclosure and exclusion of conflicts and biases (COBs) ensures and maximizes the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of all scientific information disseminated by NIOSH pursuant to its responsibilities under EEOICPA. Achieving the highest level of scientific information quality is a core value for NIOSH, CDC, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It is therefore crucial, for employees and corporate entities that perform any key program function or program support function for NIOSH pursuant to its responsibilities under EEOICPA, to fully disclose all past, current, or planned future employment-related relationships, financial relationships, familial relationships, or supervisory or subordinate work relationships that could pose a COB. If such a COB is found, the individual or corporate entity is to be excluded from performing any key program function.
NIOSH has changed the selection of target organs used in dose reconstructions NIOSH produces under the EEOICPA for energy employees with lymphoma cancers. This change responds to an evaluation by NIOSH of current scientific data on lymphoma, which revealed that the site of the radiation injury can differ from the site of the tumor or cancer origin documented in the medical files of a lymphoma cancer patient. The new process for selecting dose reconstruction target organs for energy employees with lymphoma cancers includes selecting the target organ that would have received the highest radiation dose from among relevant, possibly irradiated organs, as determined through the dose reconstruction process, when the identity of the target organ is in question. This change may result in the Department of Labor calculating higher probability of causation determinations for select lymphoma cases among previously decided and current EEOICPA cancer claims.
The purpose of the guidelines is to provide basic information on the methods
used in reconstructing doses under EEOICPA. The intent of
these guidelines is to assist qualified health physicists
in determining annual organ dose from exposure to various
sources of radiation. Because not all possible exposure
scenarios can be foreseen, these guidelines do not provide
step by step instructions for how the dose reconstruction
should be performed.
NIOSH has developed a 15 minute video to educate energy workers, their
survivors, and authorized representatives about dose reconstruction and the overall dose
reconstruction program. It provides answers to the most frequently asked questions that
NIOSH receives from its claimants, as well as general information about the NIOSH claims process.
The video is intended to provide a basic understanding of this complex, scientific program to those who have a claim undergoing dose reconstruction. After watching the video, NIOSH hopes the audience has a better
understanding of dose reconstruction and the dose reconstruction process, and recognizes
that the NIOSH dose reconstruction program is grounded in sound, scientific methods
that give the benefit of the doubt to the worker whenever possible.
Obtaining copies of the video: You can view the Dose Reconstruction Program Video below. Hard copies of the video are also available by request. The video is available in the following formats: DVD (can be played on DVD players and some computers), CD-rom (computer), and VHS. If you are interested in receiving a copy of the video, please send your name, mailing address, number of copies, and video format(s) you would like to ocas@cdc.gov. You can also contact us toll-free at 1-877-222-7570 or directly at 513-533-6800 to request a copy of the video.
Please double-click the play button in the above window to start the video.
Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Activities
OCAS' Quality Assurance (QA) program involves all of the planned and systematic activities incorporated within the OCAS organizational structure, procedures, processes, and resources needed to implement EEOICPA (The Act). OCAS has integrated Quality Control into all aspects of the NIOSH dose reconstruction program. Quality Control involves operational activities aimed at systems and processes developed to ensure the quality of our dose reconstructions.
Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations
In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects.
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports
Clearance Officer on (404) 639-7090.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology. Send comments to Anne O'Connor, CDC
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24,
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days
of this notice.
Updates to Scientific Elements of NIOSH Dose Reconstructions
As appropriate, NIOSH may update certain scientific elements of the dose reconstructions, as allowed under 42 CFR 82, to ensure NIOSH dose reconstructions are current with important scientific progress affecting dose reconstructions. If you wish to submit recommendations for such updates, you can e-mail recommendations as a MS Word or WordPerfect attachment to OCAS at ocas@cdc.gov or mail recommendations addressed to:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Office of Compensation Analysis and Support
4676 Columbia Parkway
Mailstop R-45
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
On October 12, 2005, NIOSH awarded a one-year, task-order
contract to Battelle. During the time Battelle was a contractor
for NIOSH, they assisted in the dose reconstruction program
by (1) evaluating and analyzing radiological data and
conditions at each of the 256 worksites listed in the
contract; (2) developing technical basis documents (exposure
models) for the worksites where adequate radiological
and worksite information exists; and (3) completing the
dose reconstructions for claims from the worksites where
a technical basis document has been developed. Battelle
also assisted NIOSH in identifying the worksites where
there was insufficient information on radiological and
worksite conditions.
On September 11, 2002, NIOSH awarded a five-year contract to Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) to support NIOSH's responsibilities under EEOICPA. The contractor will work directly with OCAS to provide services in the following areas:
Database management;
Data collection related to claims and petitions;
Dose reconstruction research;
Claimant interviews;
Dose estimation and reporting; and
Technical and program management support.
NIOSH is currently working with ORAU to familiarize, train, and integrate their current staff into our processes and requirements in this compensation program. ORAU will have substantial additional manpower in place very soon, and we expect the number of completed dose reconstructions to increase significantly.
Integrated Modules for Bioassay Analysis (IMBA) is a licensed computer software program that is used by NIOSH to calculate individual organ doses which result from the intake of radioactive material into the body. The program is based on internationally accepted models published by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and consists of several software modules created by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) of the United Kingdom. These modules can be used to evaluate the biological intake, excretion and dosimetry of a wide variety of radioactive isotopes.
Internal Dose and Internal Dosimetry Models
Internal dose is the radiation dose received as a result of radioactive materials entering the body through either inhalation, ingestion or absorption. Once inside the body, the radioactive material accumulates in specific organs or tissues and delivers a radiation dose to those organs or tissues. The extent to which an organ or tissue accumulates and clears radioactive material is highly dependent on the specific radioactive element or elements encountered in the workplace. This differs from external dose which is the radiation exposure received as a result of standing or working near radioactive material.
The internal dose to various organs is calculated using
mathematical models of the biological behavior of radioactive
elements taken into the human body. These models, published
by the Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP),
describe the behavior of material as it enters, metabolizes,
and leaves the body. ICRP publication 301
contains the gastrointestinal tract model and publication
662 contains the lung model. These two models are connected
to a biokinetic model that varies with each element.
Most models of interest to the weapons program are contained
in publication 673
and 694. The models
for most other elements of interest are contained in
publication 30.
Obtaining a copy of IMBA
IMBA contains licensed software modules. OCAS has obtained
a license for use of IMBA by OCAS, and its contractors.
Other individuals who wish to obtain a copy of IMBA must
contact the vendor. The vendor for the Americas and Pacific
Rim countries is ACJ
and Associates, Inc. External Link:
http://www.acj-associates.com
Individual IMBA Requests and Questions
OCAS recognizes that many interested parties may not know
how IMBA works or understand the scientific basis for
these models. To help those who wish to understand more
about internal dose calculations, OCAS has established
a help desk to answer questions about IMBA. The toll free
number for the help desk is 1-800-322-0111. In addition,
specific requests for information or for IMBA calculations
can be made to NIOSH by sending an e-mail to our office
at ocas@cdc.gov. In
your email request, please provide a return address for
where a response to the requested information or IMBA
calculation can be sent. All NIOSH responses to requests
for information or IMBA calculations will comply with
the software licensing agreements and copyright law.
NIOSH is currently accepting one IMBA calculation request per email. The calculations will be performed using the IMBA Expert OCAS edition to calculate the dose to an organ or tissue of interest. The email request must specify the exact calculation you would like performed. The minimum information needed to process a request is listed below:
Minimum Information Required for IMBA Request
Specific Examples of What Type of Information to Include in the Request
1. Route of
intake
Inhalation, Ingestion, or Injection
Note: If inhalation, include Solubility type
Note: If ingestion, include the gastrointestinal absorption value
2. Type of
intake
Acute (short duration) or Chronic (long duration)
3. Radionuclide
Uranium-234, Uranium-235, Plutonium-239, etc.
4. Date of
intake
Start and stop
dates for chronic exposures or date of acute exposures
5. Either a)
the intake quantity or b) the bioassay quantity
from which to calculate an intake.
The bioassay quantity
should include the units (pCi/day, ug/L, etc.) and
the date the sample was taken.
6. Organ of
Interest
Lungs, Liver, Kidneys, etc.
7. The date
range for which you want the annual doses to be
calculated
From (year) to (year)
A sample email request for an IMBA calculation is provided below:
References
1 International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). 1979. Limits for Intakes of Radionuclides by Workers, Part 1. ICRP Publication 30, Annals of the ICRP 2(3/4). Pergamon Press, Oxford.
2 International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). 1994. Human Respiratory Model for Radiological Protection. ICRP Publication 66, Annals of the ICRP 24(1-4). Elsevier Scientific Ltd., Oxford.
3 International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). 1993. Age Dependent Doses to Members of the Public from Intakes of Radionuclides, Part 2. ICRP Publication 67, Annals of the ICRP 22(2/3). Pergamon Press, Oxford.
4 International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). 1995. Age Dependent Doses to Members of the Public from Intakes of Radionuclides, Part 3: Ingestion Dose Coefficinets. ICRP Publication 69, Annals of the ICRP 25(1). Elsevier Scientific Ltd., Oxford.
Access to Information for Performance of Radiation Dose Reconstructions
This report to Congress describes the information required
to conduct dose reconstructions, and it explains the
matters that can adversely affect the ability of NIOSH
to obtain the information in a timely, accurate, and
complete manner. With the cooperation of the Departments
of Labor and Energy, and claimants, and using data from
these and other sources, NIOSH continues to complete
dose reconstructions while further developing the capacity
of its dose reconstruction program.
About this Document: Re-evaluates target organ selection for lymphatic/hematopoietic cancers.
Approved: February 10, 2006
Federal Register Notice Published Announcing the Proposed Data
Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations
In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects.
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