engleski

Evaluation of chromosomal aberrations in radiologists and medical radiographers chronically exposed to ionising radiation

Chromosomal aberrations are fairly reliable indicators of damage induced by ionizing radiation. This study included 180 radiologists and medical raiographers (technicians) and 90 controls who were not occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation. All exposed subjects were routinely monitored with film badge, and none was exposed to a radiation dose exceeding the limit for occupational exposure recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Two hundred metaphases for each person were scored. The frequencies of acentric fragments, dicentrics, ring chromosomes and chromosomal exchanges were determined and compared to those obtained in the control group. Chromosome aberrations were analysed using Poisson regression for profession, age, sex, smoking and years of exposure. Age, smoking, diagnostic exposure to X-rays and occupation were found to correlate with the occurrence of acentric fragments. The influence of exposure duration on the frequency of acentric fragments was greater in medical radiographers than in radiologists. Smoking and sex were found to correlate with the occurrence of dicentric chromosomes, which were more common in men than in women. As chromosome aberrations exceeded the expected level with respect to the absorbed dose, our findings confirm to the importance of chromosome analysis as a part of regular medical check-up of subjects occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation.

occupational exposure; ionizing radiation; chromosomal aberrations

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