SUMRAY: R and Python codes for calculating cancer risk due to radiation exposure of a population

Sasaki, Michiya*; Furukawa, Kyoji*; Satoh, Daiki; Shimada, Kazumasa; Kudo, Shinichi*; Takagi, Shunji*; Takahara, Shogo; Kai, Michiaki*

Journal of Radiation Protection and Research, 48(2), p.90 - 99, 2023/06

https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2022.00213

This paper reports on the calculation code that is the result of the activities of the "Task Group for Development of Cancer Risk Estimation Codes Associated with Radiation Exposure (FY2020-2021)" established by the Japan Health Physics Society. In order to promote research on the estimation of cancer risk associated with radiation exposure, the Task Group decided to disclose the source code, including the algorithm and parameters used in the calculations, and to release the code under a license that permits modification and redistribution of the code. The computational code was named SUMRAY and coded in two computer languages, that is R and Python. The code is capable of calculating the accumulated excess risk using Monte Carlo methods with a 95% confidence interval. The results of SUMRAY were compared with the results of the existing codes whose source code is not publicly available, under the same calculation conditions. From the results, it was found that they were in reasonable agreement within the confidence interval. It is expected that SUMRAY, an open-source software, will be used as a common basis for cancer risk estimation studies associated with radiation exposure.

External exposure assessment in the Fukushima accident area for governmental policy planning in Japan, 2; Matters to be attended for assessments of external exposure

Yoshimura, Kazuya; Sanada, Yukihisa; Sato, Rina; Nakayama, Mariko*; Tsubokura, Masaharu*

Journal of Radiation Research (Internet), 64(2), p.203 - 209, 2023/03

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrr/rrac088

After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, individual exposure doses to residents have been assessed by many municipalities, governments and research institutes. Various methods including measurements with personal dosimeters and simulations have been used for this evaluation depending on purposes, but the information of assessments and methods has not been systematically organized. A comprehensive review of the knowledge and experiences of individual exposure doses assessments accumulated so far and understanding the characteristics of the assessment methods will be very useful for radiation protection and risk communication, following to governmental policy planning. We reviewed the efforts made by the Japanese government and research institutes to assess radiation doses to residents after the FDNPS accident in Part1. On the other hand, each method of assessing individual exposure doses includes uncertainties and points to be considered for the appropriate assessment. These knowledge and experiences are important for the assessment implementation and applying the assessment results to the governmental policy planning, and are summarized in Part2 of this article.

Estimation of children's thyroid equivalent doses in 16 municipalities after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident

Suzuki, Gen*; Ishikawa, Tetsuo*; Oba, Takashi*; Hasegawa, Arifumi*; Nagai, Haruyasu; Miyatake, Hirokazu*; Yoshizawa, Nobuaki*

Journal of Radiation Research (Internet), 63(6), p.796 - 804, 2022/11

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrr/rrac058

To elucidate the association between radiation dose and thyroid cancer after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) accident, it is essential to estimate individual thyroid equivalent doses (TEDs) to children. In a previous study, we reported a methodology for reconstructing TEDs from inhalation based on individual behavioural survey sheets combined with a spatiotemporal radionuclides database constructed by an atmospheric transport, diffusion, and deposition model (ATDM). In the present study, we further refined our methodology and estimated the combined TEDs from inhalation and ingestion among children in 16 municipalities around the nuclear power station utilizing 3,256 individual whereabouts questionnaire survey sheets. Distributions of estimated TEDs were similar to estimates based on direct thyroid measurements in 1080 children in Iwaki City, Kawamata Town, Iitate Village, and Minamisoma City. Mean TEDs in 1-year-old children ranged from 1.3 mSv in Date City to 14.9 mSv in Odaka Ward in Minamisoma City, and the 95th percentiles varied from 2.3 mSv in Date City to 28.8 mSv in Namie Town. In the future, this methodology can be useful for a case-control study of thyroid cancer after the FDNPS accident.

Potential inhibitory effects of low-dose thoron inhalation and ascorbic acid administration on alcohol-induced hepatopathy in mice

Kataoka, Takahiro*; Ishida, Tsuyoshi*; Naoe, Shota*; Kanzaki, Norie; Sakoda, Akihiro; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Mitsunobu, Fumihiro*; Yamaoka, Kiyonori*

Journal of Radiation Research (Internet), 63(5), p.719 - 729, 2022/09

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrr/rrac046

Validation of a model for estimating individual external dose based on ambient dose equivalent and life patterns

Sato, Rina; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Sanada, Yukihisa; Sato, Tetsuro*

Journal of Radiation Protection and Research, 47(2), p.77 - 85, 2022/06

https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2021.00290

After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) accident, a model was developed to estimate the external exposure doses for residents who were expected to return to their homes after evacuation orders were lifted. However, the model's accuracy and uncertainties in parameters used to estimate external doses have not been evaluated. This study validates the model's accuracy by comparing the estimated effective doses with the measured personal dose equivalents. The personal dose equivalents and life pattern data were collected for 36 adult participants who lived or worked near the FDNPS in 2019. The estimated effective doses correlated significantly with the personal dose equivalents, demonstrating the model's applicability for effective dose estimation. However, the lower value of the effective dose relative to personal dose equivalent indoors could be because the conversion factor from ambient dose equivalent to effective dose did not reflect the actual environment.

The Japan Health Physics Society Guideline on Dose Monitoring for the Lens of the Eye

Yokoyama, Sumi*; Tsujimura, Norio; Hashimoto, Makoto; Yoshitomi, Hiroshi; Kato, Masahiro*; Kurosawa, Tadahiro*; Tatsuzaki, Hideo*; Sekiguchi, Hiroshi*; Koguchi, Yasuhiro*; Ono, Koji*; et al.

Journal of Radiation Protection and Research, 47(1), p.1 - 7, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2021.00276

Background: In Japan, new regulations that revise the dose limit for the lens of the eye (the lens), operational quantities, and measurement positions for the lens dose were enforced in April 2021. Based on the international safety standards, national guidelines, the results of the Radiation Safety Research Promotion Fund of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority, and other studies, the Working Group of Radiation Protection Standardization Committee, the Japan Health Physics Society (JHPS) developed a guideline for radiation dose monitoring for the lens. Materials and Methods: The Working Group of the JHPS discussed the criteria of non-uniform exposure and the management criteria set to not exceed the dose limit for the lens. Results and Discussion: In July 2020, the JHPS guideline was published. The guideline consists of three parts: main text, explanations, and 26 questions. In the questions, the corresponding answers were prepared, and specific examples were provided to enable similar cases to be addressed. Conclusion: With the development of guideline on radiation dose monitoring of the lens, radiation managers and workers will be able to smoothly comply with revised regulations and optimise radiation protection.

Lifetime risk assessment of lung cancer incidence for nonsmokers in Japan considering the joint effect of radiation and smoking based on the life span study of atomic bomb survivors

Shimada, Kazumasa; Kai, Michiaki*

Journal of Radiation Protection and Research, 46(3), p.83 - 97, 2021/09

https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2020.00255

[Background] The lifetime risk of lung cancer incidence owing to radiation for non-smokers is overestimated because the average cancer baseline among a population including smokers is used. In recent years, the generalized multiplicative (GM) excess relative risk (ERR) model has been developed in the life span study of atomic bomb survivors to consider the joint effect of radiation and smoking. Based on this background, the issues of radiation risk assessment considering smoking will be discussed in this paper in 2 parts. [Materials and Methods] Part 1: We proposed a simple method of estimating the baseline risk for non-smokers using current smoking data. We performed sensitivity analysis on baseline risk estimation to discuss the birth cohort effects of birth year effect and smoking history. Part 2: We applied the GM ERR model for Japanese smokers to calculate lifetime attributable risk (LAR). We also performed a sensitivity analysis with other ERR models (e.g., simple additive (SA) ERR model). [Results] Part 1: The lifetime baseline risk (LBR) for non-smokers were 54% (44% - 60%) or males and 24% (18% - 29%) for females, which were lower than the LBRs for all adults including smokers. Part 2: When comparing the LAR between the SA ERR model and the GM ERR model, if the radiation dose was 200 mGy or less, the difference between these ERR models was within the standard deviation of the LAR owing to the uncertainty of the smoking information.

The IRPA Young Generation Network; Activity report from the middle of 2018 to the beginning of 2021

Andresz, S.*; Sakoda, Akihiro; Ha, W.-H.*; Kabrt, F.*; Kono, Takahiko; Sez Muoz, M.*; Nusrat, O.*; Papp, C.*; Qiu, R.*; Bryant, P.*

Journal of Radiation Protection and Research, 46(3), p.143 - 150, 2021/09

https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2021.00080

The Young Generation Network (YGN) was officially established as part of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA) in the spring of 2018. Since then, it has been dedicated to a variety of activities to promote communication, collaboration and professional development of students and young professionals in the area of radiation protection and its allied fields. This article reports our recent activities from the middle of 2018 to the beginning of 2021, with highlights on some important events: (1) Joint JHPS-SRP-KARP Workshop of Young Generation Network (December 2019 in Japan); (2) Contribution to Nuclear Energy Agency Workshop on Optimization - Rethinking the Art of Reasonable (January 2020 in Portugal); (3) Survey on the impact of COVID-19 on radiation protection among IRPA YGN members (March 2020); (4) Contribution to IRPA15 (January-February 2021; online). The discussion and insight obtained from each activity are also summarized. The IRPA YGN will aim to achieve its on-going activities and continue to follow the ways paved in the Strategic Agenda and despite the challenges raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. Namely, running an international survey (for example, on the usage of social media in radiation protection, and on the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic), engaging national YGNs, extending the network, finding new relationships with networks with an interest in the young generation and participation in (remote) events will be aspired for.

Radon inhalation decreases DNA damage induced by oxidative stress in mouse organs via the activation of antioxidative functions

Kataoka, Takahiro*; Shuto, Hina*; Naoe, Shota*; Yano, Junki*; Kanzaki, Norie; Sakoda, Akihiro; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Hanamoto, Katsumi*; Mitsunobu, Fumihiro*; Terato, Hiroaki*; et al.

Journal of Radiation Research (Internet), 62(5), p.861 - 867, 2021/09

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrr/rrab069

Early emergency responses of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency against the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident in 2011

Okuno, Hiroshi; Sato, Sohei; Kawakami, Takeshi; Yamamoto, Kazuya; Tanaka, Tadao

Journal of Radiation Protection and Research, 46(2), p.66 - 79, 2021/06

https://doi.org/10.14407/jrpr.2020.00185

The nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (NPS) of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) was a typical one of the disastrous damages that induced evacuation of the residents around the NPS, which was triggered by the hugest earthquake and associated tsunami. This paper summarized early responses of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), especially of its Nuclear Emergency Assistance and Training Center (NEAT) to the off-site emergencies associated with the TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi NPS. The paper addressed activities of emergency preparedness of the NEAT before 2011 in relevant to the TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi NPS, the situation of the NEAT on March 11, 2011, and its early responses to the related off-site emergencies including those caused by the accident at the TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi NPS. The paper also discussed issues associated with complex disasters.