RADIATION-INDUCED CHROMOSOME-ABERRATIONS IN NUCLEAR-DOCKYARD WORKERS

The incidence of chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 197 dockyard workers has been followed over a 10-yr period. These workers were exposed to mixed neutron-γ radiation during the refuelling of nuclear reactors, but most exposures were below the internationally accepted maximum permissible level of 5 rem per yr. There was a significant increase in chromosome damage with increasing exposure, aberration frequency was a linear function of dose and was influenced by age and time of blood sampling after exposure. © 1979 Nature Publishing Group.