[Analysis of health state in individuals exposed to thorium and chemical hazards in occupational environment].

Clinical and epidemiologic study of chronic somatic discases in workers engaged into thorium production (main group) in short-term period revealed significantly higher prevalence of vegetative neurosis, asthenic state, chronic gastritis, arterial hypotension, chronic nasopharyngitis and higher risk of those conditions, if compared to reference group over the period since 1947 to 1959. These findings are caused by combined exposure to occupational hazards: outer and inner radiation due to long-lived thorium, thoron and their radioactive products, associated exposure to toxic chemicals. Chronic radiation sickness was diagnosed only in individuals who worked over the period since 1947 to 1959 and demonstrated hemopoietic disorders associated with functional neural system impairment. Better sanitary and hygienic work conditions and more efficient individual protective means ("Lepestok" respirator) resulted in reliably decreased risk of chronic somatic diseases among thorium production workers employed since 1960 to 1972.

[Comparative investigation of structural and gene somatic mutations in workers of nuclear chemical plants. I. A study of stable and unstable chromosome aberrations].

A study of frequency of unstable chromosome aberrations in 50 workers of nuclear chemical plants in remote period after beginning or finishing professional contact with ionizing radiation was carried out. 14 persons from this cohort were mainly whole-body exposed to external gamma-rays and 36 were exposed to combined external and internal radiation from incorporated Pu nuclides. In results of this irradiating practically every subject had a chronical radiation sickness. In the 1-st group the frequency of unstable aberrations varied from 0.2 to 3.6 per 100 cells and exceeded reliably control level in 5 persons. In the 2-nd group the frequency of unstable aberrations varied from 0 to 11.6 per 100 cells and exceeded reliably control level in 20 examined workers. The FISH study of frequency of stable aberrations was performed in 13 subjects who were exposed to combined external and internal radiation. Total frequency of complete and incomplete translocations varied from 0.6 to 18.5 aberrations per genome per 100 cells and reliable exceeded control level in 9 subjects. Non-random participation in exchange rearrangements (translocations) was revealed for used set of chromosomes (2, 3 and 8).

[Comparative investigation of structural and gene somatic mutations in workers of nuclear chemical plants. II. Frequency of lymphocytes mutant in T-cell receptor loci].

Frequency of lymphocytes mutant at T-cell receptor (TCR) loci was defined in 42 workers of nuclear chemical plants. In 11 persons mainly exposed to external radiation the mean frequency of TCR-mutant lymphocytes was statistically significant by higher compared with control group of unexposed donors: 9.1 x 10(-4) vs 3.5 x 10(-4) correspondently (p < 0.01). Frequency of TCR-mutant lymphocytes did not correlate neither the frequency of structural mutations non doses of external exposure. In group of workers exposed to combined external and internal radiation (n = 31) the average frequency of TCR-mutant lymphocytes was higher compared with control level: 8.9 x 10(-4) vs 3.5 x 10(-4) correspondently (p < 0.01). Correlations between the frequency of TCR-mutant cells and Pu content in organism (r = 0.5; p = 0.005) and between the frequency of chromosome aberration of unstable and stable types (r = 0.5; p = 0.002 and r = 0.6; p = 0.036, correspondently) were set. Comparison of results of analysis of structural and gene mutations allows us to supose that in case of external exposure the observed disturbances can result from genome instability in remote period after irradiation. In case of combined exposure the genetic changes were possibly caused by the constant action of alpha-radiation from Pu containing in the body.

[Results of peripheral blood tests in thorium production workers].

The authors studied peripheral blood parameters in thorium production workers. Separate analysis covered a group of subjects with chronic radiation sickness. Reliably more pronounced in the chronic radiation sickness group, disposition to thrombocytopenia and leucopenia could be caused by occupational factors. Anemia associated with disposition to erythrocytopenia and increased ESR could be caused by malnutrition.

[Clinical evaluation of tolerance and efficiency of Cinkocin medication for human incorporation of plutonium and americium].

The authors represent data on studies of tolerance and efficiency of Cinkocin administered to 18 patients who had occupational exposure to plutonium and americium.

[Emergency care for acute wound entering of plutonium and americium into the body (real case)].

The article describes a case of slowly soluble plutonium and americium compounds entering human body via skin wound. During the wound healing, the authors followed features of biokinetics of the radioactive substances, determined the major route of their excretion, evaluated efficiency of surgical d-bridement and complexation medicine (pentacin). clinical and biophysicdata collected could serve to increase efficiency of urgent therapeutic and prophylactic measures aimed to individuals with wounds contaminated with radioactive substances.

[Hemopoietic response to americium and plutonium exposure in nuclear industry workers]. / Reaktsii krovetvornoi sistemy u rabotnikov atomnoi promyshlennosti pri vozdeistvii ameritsiia i plutoniia.

The examinees demonstrated definite effects caused by total influence of Am-241 and Pu-239: chronic radiation sickness with diffuse pneumosclerosis, chronic toxic radiation bronchitis and peripheral blood changes (reactive alterations and stable lower platelets and reticulocytes count), microfocal hypoplasia, osteodysplasia, reactive hepatopathy. Frequency of these effects increased with higher radiation exposure and did not depend on the age.