Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Radiology, is there an occupational hazard?

D G Baker1

  • 1Department of Radiology, University of Virginia Hospital, Charlottesville 22908.

American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal
|January 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary

Radiologists receive an average annual x-ray dose of 3.2 mSv, potentially causing 17-28 cancer deaths and a slight genetic risk to offspring. Specialized interventionalists face higher risks, though epidemiological studies may not detect these small effects.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Genetic vulnerability to DUSP22 promoter hypermethylation is involved in the relation between in utero famine exposure and schizophrenia.

NPJ schizophrenia·2018
Same author

Longitudinal analyses of the DNA methylome in deployed military servicemen identify susceptibility loci for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Molecular psychiatry·2017
Same author

Largest GWAS of PTSD (N=20 070) yields genetic overlap with schizophrenia and sex differences in heritability.

Molecular psychiatry·2017
Same author

Letter to the Editor: Posttraumatic stress disorder has genetic overlap with cardiometabolic traits.

Psychological medicine·2017
Same author

Cerebrospinal fluid neuroendocrinology of alcohol misusers.

Addiction biology·2016
Same author

Gene networks specific for innate immunity define post-traumatic stress disorder.

Molecular psychiatry·2015

Area of Science:

  • Medical Physics
  • Occupational Health
  • Radiation Biology

Background:

  • Practicing radiologists in the U.S. are exposed to an average annual x-ray dose of 3.2 millisieverts (mSv).
  • This occupational radiation exposure carries potential risks for cancer mortality and genetic effects in offspring.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the excess cancer risk for radiologists based on average occupational radiation doses.
  • To estimate the potential genetic risk to the first-generation offspring of radiologists.
  • To assess the risk for sub-populations of radiologists performing special procedures.

Main Methods:

  • Calculations based on average annual x-ray dose and established dose-risk conversion factors for cancer and genetic effects.
  • Comparison of risk estimates between general radiologists and those performing interventional procedures.
  • Consideration of population size and risk magnitude for epidemiological study feasibility.

Main Results:

  • An average annual dose of 3.2 mSv corresponds to an excess cancer risk of 0.53%-0.87% (17-28 deaths) among 19,000 radiologists.
  • The estimated excess risk for genetic diseases in offspring ranges from 0.02% to 0.31% (0.09-1.26 cases).
  • Cardiologists and interventional radiologists face higher cancer and genetic risks compared to general radiologists.

Conclusions:

  • Occupational radiation exposure in radiologists poses a quantifiable, albeit small, risk of cancer mortality and genetic sequelae.
  • Interventional sub-specialties present elevated risks due to higher radiation doses.
  • The low magnitude of risk and small population size limit the likelihood of detecting these effects in future epidemiological studies.

Related Experiment Videos