OCCUPATION AND HEALTH ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (10): 1313-1317.

• Treatise • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Overview of cohort study of nuclear medicine radiation workers in Chongqing City

WU Mengyun1, LI Kui1, ZHOU Jinghua1, LI Wei1, WANG Jinhan2, GU Yeqing2()   

  1. 1 Chongqing Center for Disease Control and PreventionChongqing 400707, China
    2 Institute of Radiation MedicineChinese Academy of Medical SciencesTianjin 300192, China
  • Received:2025-07-25 Revised:2025-08-11 Online:2026-05-15 Published:2026-06-02
  • Contact: GU Yeqing
  • About author:GU Yeqing,E-mail:wumycdc@163.com

Abstract:

Objective The cohort study of nuclear medicine in Chongqing is a combined retrospective and prospective study based on the radiation workers in the medical industry. According to the research protocol of the National Health Effects Study on Nuclear Medicine Radiation Workers conducted by the Institute of Radiation Medicine,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,aims to investigate and determine the correlation and attributable risk of radioactive hazard factors on the incidence of non-communicable diseases. Methods As of January 2024,all radiation workers in nuclear medicine(336 individuals) within the jurisdiction of Chongqing were selected as the exposed group,while 350 diagnostic radiology workers from medical institutions with nuclear medicine departments were randomly selected as the control group using a cluster sampling method. Baseline surveys were conducted for all cohort members. Annual effective doses were monitored,including external radiation doses Hp(10) and Hp(0.07),as well as internal radiation doses from I131. Results The cohort comprised 686 participants,including 336 nuclear medicine workers(48.98%) and 350 diagnostic radiology workers(51.02%). Educational attainment at bachelor's degree or higher was observed in 464 subjects(67.64%). There was a statistically significant difference between 16 nuclear medicine personnel(5.16%) with an occupational exposure of >5 mSv/year and 7 control group members(2.50%)(χ2=6.210,P<0.05). The three predominant chronic non-communicable diseases identified were endocrine disorders 56 cases(8.16%),gastrointestinal diseases 45 cases(6.71%),cardiovascular disorders 30 cases(4.37%). There was a statistically significant difference between 168 cases in the exposed group(50.00%) with recent-onset nonspecific symptoms and 87 cases in the control group(25.89%)(χ2=4.235,P<0.05). Conclusion There is a correlation between occupational radiation exposure and specific health risks among nuclear medicine and diagnostic radiation workers in Chongqing. The high incidence of endocrine,digestive,and cardiovascular system diseases among radiation workers deserves attention,which may reflect the potential impact of radiation on multi system chronic diseases.

Key words: Radiation workers, Nuclear medicine, I131, Cohort study

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