[Effects of chronic uranium internal exposure on mortality: results of a pilot study among French nuclear workers]. / Effets de la contamination chronique à l'uranium sur la mortalité : bilan d'une étude-pilote chez les travailleurs de l'industrie nucléaire en France.

BACKGROUND: This article presents the mortality data compiled among a cohort of workers at risk of internal uranium exposure and discusses the extent to which this exposure might differentiate them from other nuclear workers. METHODS: The cohort consisted of 2897 Areva-NC-Pierrelatte plant workers, followed from 1st January 1968 through 31st December 2006 (79,892 person-years). Mortality was compared with that of the French population, by calculating Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI95%). External radiation exposure was reconstructed using external dosimetry archives. Internal uranium exposure was assessed using a plant-specific job-exposure-matrix, considering six types of uranium compounds according to their nature (natural and reprocessed uranium [RPU] and solubility [fast-F, moderate-M, and slow-S]). Exposure-effect analyses were performed for causes of death known to be related to external radiation exposure (all cancers and circulatory system diseases) and cancer of uranium target-organs (lung and hematopoietic and lymphatic tissues, HLT). RESULTS: A significant deficit of mortality from all causes (SMR=0.58; CI95% [0.53-0.63]), all cancers (SMR=0.72; CI95% [0.63-0.82]) and smoking related cancers was observed. Non-significant 30%-higher increase of mortality was observed for cancer of pleura (SMR=2.32; CI95 % [0.75-5.41]), rectum and HLT, notably non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (SMR=1.38; CI95 % [0.63-2.61]) and chronic lymphoid leukemia (SMR=2.36; CI95% [0.64-6.03]). No exposure-effect relationship was found with external radiation cumulative dose. A significant exposure-effect relationship was observed for slowly soluble uranium, particularly RPU, which was associated with an increase in mortality risk reaching 8 to 16% per unit of cumulative exposure score and 10 to 15% per year of exposure duration. CONCLUSION: The Areva-NC-Pierrelatte workers cohort presents a non-significant over-mortality from HLT cancers, notably of lymphoid origin, unrelated to external radiation exposure. The pilot study suggests an association between mortality from the HLT and lung cancers and exposure to slowly soluble RPU compounds. The results of this study should be investigated further in more powerful studies, with a dose-response analysis based on individual assessment of uranium absorbed dose to uranium-target organs.

[Development of a job exposure matrix for the epidemiological follow-up of workers in the French nuclear industry]. / Construction d'une matrice emplois--expositions pour le suivi épidémiologique des travailleurs de l'industrie nucléaire en France. Résultats d'une étude pilote.

BACKGROUND: A pilot study was carried out in the AREVA NC Pierrelatte nuclear facility in order to investigate a possible carcinogenic effect of internal radiation exposure among nuclear workers in France. The objective of this study was to develop a method for retrospective reconstruction of the occupational exposure to internal radiation from uranium and associated chemical exposures. METHODS: A plant- and period-specific job exposure matrix (JEM) was designed. Job groups and exposure agents groups including uranium compounds and other chemical agents known as being carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic were defined by an expert committee. Exposure was evaluated by active and retired workers included in the evaluator committee. A quantitative assignment of quantity and frequency of handling (both coded from 0 to 3) was performed for each agent groups using a method derived from the Delphi technique. RESULTS: In all, 23 experts and 353 evaluators participated to the JEM elaboration. A final JEM involved 232 "job-periods" presenting throughout the plant period 1960-2006 and 22 exposure agents groups in use at the plant. Six of them involved uranium compounds classified by their blood-transferability and toxicity characteristics. A first validation of the JEM by experts in radiological protection and industrial hygiene showed an acceptable internal consistency. CONCLUSION: In the context of missing past exposure measurement data, the plant- and period-specific job exposure matrices may be considered as a valid alternative for exposure estimation. This method may be applied to other nuclear plants and offers allowance to investigate a possible carcinogenic effect of internal radiation exposure among nuclear workers.

Characterisation of protracted low-level exposure to uranium in the workplace: A comparison of two approaches.

Retrospective estimates of internal doses received by workers in the nuclear industry following intake of radionuclides, based on bioassay data, are a benchmark method in epidemiological studies. Nonetheless, full information relative to thousands of people included in an epidemiological cohort is rarely available, thus implying difficulties to estimate exposure precisely. To evaluate the cumulative exposure to uranium in a cohort of the AREVA NC Pierrelatte plant workers, we compared the epidemiological Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) method with the dosimetric method based on biological monitoring of exposure for 30 workers randomly selected within the cohort. A moderate to strong correlation was observed between the estimators resulting from the two approaches, thereby validating the JEM as a tool that can be used to characterise cumulative exposure to uranium in the cohort. In addition, this study showed that the JEM is a valuable complement to the interpretation of bioassy, (1) in providing information on exposure periods as well as on physical and chemical form of the radionuclides and (2) in compensating for the lack of exposure data regarding the very earliest periods. Combining the two methods may improve the precision in reconstructing cumulative exposure for epidemiological studies.

Food security and rural development. Seventh World Congress for Rural Sociology, 25 June - 2 July 1988, Bologna, Italy.

PIP: While food security has always been a concern of man, rapid urbanization and the growth of megalopolises, along with regional imbalances between population growth and economic growth pose even more ominous threats to maintaining food security for populations. It is especially becoming more difficult to feed the non-producers of societies. Accordingly, this paper discusses how the International Rural Sociological Association was asked to devote its 7th World Congress for Rural Sociology to the topic of food security and rural development. In the debate on food security and development, both economic demography and demographic transition are discussed. Under the 1st of these 2 subtopics, the paper considers the development of social and occupational structures, the national proportions of the economically active population engaged in agriculture, and the future of local know-how. Mention is made of the premature movement out of farming observed in some countries. Under the 2nd subtopic, the paper notes the lack of cooperation between economists and demographers in the interdisciplinary study of the relations between populations growth and food security. In many societies, people are not attracted to subsistence production because of low financial returns. Social tensions should be expected with the growth of regional imbalances between population growth and economic growth.^ieng

Rural population--rural vitality.

PIP: The state of rural demography is explored, with a focus on the general lack of interest among demographers in studying rural populations. Consideration is given to problems in constructing standard definitions of rural populations, given the great geographical diversity of rural ares around the world. Recent trends in rural-urban migration are also examined.^ieng

Stereoselective synthesis of chiral pinene[5,6]bipyridine ligands and their coordination chemistry.

The C(2)-symmetric chiral pinene[5,6]bipyridine V (Chart 1) was synthesized according to a procedure published by our group recently (Kolp, B.; Abeln, D.; Stoeckli-Evans, H.; Zelewsky, A. v. Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2001, 1207). A series of stereoselectively alkylated derivatives (Va-Vo) (Table 1) was prepared. The solid-state structures of the compounds Vc and Vk were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, where both compounds show a transoid conformation of the bipyridine unit and proved to be alkylated stereoselectively from the sterically less hindered side of the pinene moiety. The X-ray structure of the cobalt complex 4 shows the metal ion to be tetrahedrally coordinated by one chiral bipyridine V and two chloride ligands. If 2 equiv of ligand V was used, 2:1 complexes were obtained with Cu(I), Ag(I), and Co(II) ions.