Dreyer N A, Loughlin J E, Friedlander E R, Clapp R W, Fahey F H
Am J Public Health. 1981 Nov;71(11):1247-52. doi: 10.2105/ajph.71.11.1247.
In January 1978, the United States Congress requested information about the utility of additional epidemiologic studies for quantifying the health effects of low-dose ionizing radiation. In our judgment, no single population can be recommended for study on purely scientific grounds, since the largest group offers only a small chance to obtain a definitive result. On the other hand, if social pressures and regulatory agencies mandate that such studies be attempted, we would recommend prospective cohort studies of occupational populations. We propose that a national worker registry be developed using ionizing radiation as the prototype for studying other occupational exposures. The problems related to studying low-level radiation are not unique, but apply equally to investigations dealing with a great variety of toxic agents. A national plan for collecting information on workers' exposure and health could provide a cost-efficient means to answer public health questions posed by the Congress, scientists and the public.
1978年1月，美国国会要求提供有关开展更多流行病学研究以量化低剂量电离辐射对健康影响的效用的信息。我们认为，从纯粹科学的角度来看，没有哪一个单一人群适合推荐用于此类研究，因为规模最大的群体获得确定性结果的机会也很小。另一方面，如果社会压力和监管机构要求尝试开展此类研究，我们建议对职业人群进行前瞻性队列研究。我们提议建立一个全国性的工人登记册，以电离辐射为蓝本，用于研究其他职业暴露情况。与研究低水平辐射相关的问题并非独一无二，而是同样适用于涉及多种有毒物质的调查。一项收集工人暴露情况和健康信息的国家计划，可以提供一种经济高效的方式，用以回答国会、科学家和公众提出的公共卫生问题。
