Abstract
The American radium dial worker (RDW) cohort of over 3200 persons is being revisited as part of the Million Person Study (MPS) to include a modern approach to RDW dosimetry. An exceptional source of data and contextualization in this project is an extensive collection of electronic records (digitized from existing microfilm and microfiche) housed at the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries (USTUR). Although the type, extent, and quality (e.g. legibility) of record(s) varies between individuals, the remarkable occupational, medical and demographic data include in vivo radiation measurements (e.g. radon breath, whole body counts), autopsy results, medical records (including copies of radiographs), interviews over the years, and correspondence. Of particular dosimetric interest are the details of radiation measurements. For example, there are some instances where hand-written and transcribed values are both available, along with notes providing context for why a particular measurement in a series of measurements was chosen to assign an intake, or if there were concerns about a particular measurement. Born prior to 1935, RDW have nearly all passed away. Thus, the updated dosimetry, especially for the skeletal tissues, will allow the correlation of lifetime cumulative dose with radiation risk. Here we review typical information available in this collection of historical records and highlight some interesting finds. Additionally, we discuss the relevance to current and ongoing work related to updating the dosimetry of the RDW in the MPS, including providing an example of the usefulness of information contained in these records. The RDW cohort provides a unique historical perspective on occupational exposure to radium, making it a valuable dataset for understanding long-term health effects and improving current radiation protection standards.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 021514 |
| Journal | Journal of Radiological Protection |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 1 2025 |
Funding
The work herein was only possible because of an ongoing, collaborative effort between multiple generations of scientists and archivists as well as the RDWs themselves and their family and friends; the authors gratefully acknowledge those who came before us over the past 100 years. Additionally, the authors would like to acknowledge special assistance and/or advice from Kate Moore, Laura Youngstrum (Reddick Public Library), Dan Schott (Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum), Darlene Helm (Reddick Mansion), Dr Joey Zhou (Department of Energy), and Dr Florencia Pierri (MIT Museum). The work described in this manuscript was sponsored by the Office of Environment, Health, Safety, and Security, U.S. Department of Energy; National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), under Interagency Agreement DOE No. 14B759101, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle. The study of radium dial painters is a component of the Million Person Study which is supported in part by grants from the US Department of Energy [Grant No. DE-AU0000042 and DE-AU0000046] awarded to the NCRP, and a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration [80NSSC17M0016]. Additional support was received from an NIH/NCI Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA008748) awarded to Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research. The USTUR is funded by U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Domestic and International Health Studies (EHSS-13) under grant awardDE-HS0000073 to College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Washington State University.
Keywords
- Million Person Study
- dial painter
- dosimetry
- luminizer
- radium