Investigation on the health status of 386 radiation workers in Shenyang from 2020 to 2021

  Objective  To investigate the effects of low-dose ionizing radiation on the health of radiological medical staff.

  Methods  A total of 386 radiological medical staff who underwent occupational health examinations at the Liaoning Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2020 to 2021 were studied, and 174 staff who recently participated in the preand post-transfer health examinations for radiological posts were selected as the reference group. The blood cell counts, peripheral blood lymphocyte chromosome aberrations, and micronucleus rates of the two groups were analyzed.

  Results  The lymphocyte count of the radiation workers was lower than that of the reference group, and the chromosome aberration rate and abnormality rate, micronucleus rate, and abnormality rate were higher than those of the reference group (P < 0.01). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that compared with the radiological medical staff who operated in separate rooms or male radiological medical staff, the lymphocyte count of the interventional therapists who operated in the same room near the table and female radiological medical staff was reduced (β=-0.182, -0.159, P < 0.05); with the increase in working time, the lymphocyte count of radiological medical staff also decreased (β=-0.008, P < 0.05). The results of Poisson regression analysis showed that compared with the radiological medical staff who operated in separate rooms, the chromosome aberration rate and micronucleus rate of the interventional therapists increased (RR = 4.078, 1.359, P < 0.05); with the increase of working years, the chromosome aberration rate and micronucleus rate of the radiological medical staff also increased (RR = 1.050, 1.024, P < 0.05).

  Conclusions  Long-term low-dose ionizing radiation had varying degrees of impact on lymphocyte count, peripheral blood lymphocyte chromosome aberration, and the micronucleus of radiological medical staff. Further occupational health monitoring should be strengthened for radiological medical staff engaged in interventional therapy to reduce radiation damage.