56
EFFECTS OF IONIZING RADIATION
Table 4.10.—Characteristics of Available Data on the Hematological Effects of Penetrating Radiation
CHARACTERISTICS
Numbers in groups.__|
Adequacy of
Con-
trols
Serial counts._______
Counting
techniques*
Chance of bias due
to sampling techniques
“Normal” individuals
Internal
nation
contami-
Additional trauma
(burns, ete.)
Species
extrapola-
JAPANESE BOMBINGS
CLINICALRapro-
LABORATORY AccI-
EXPOSEDMARSHAL-
large
small
small
large
large
no
fair
ves
fair
yes
good
yes
good
yes
good
large
large
large
small
small
yes
no
yes
yes
ves
none
none
none
minimal
none
yes
no
yes
yes
no
no
no
no
fair
tion necessary
Type of radiation___| gamma,
poor
some
neutrons
hard
poor
X-rays,
gamma
good
gamma,
neu-
trons, X-
Dosage estimation___! poor
good
Single exposure. .___
Dose rate_________-
yes
Instantaneous
usually no
~5r/min.
yes
Instantaneous
Body region_____.__
Total body
Dosage range_____._
Sublethal and
lethal
Narrow beam
Moderate fall
off
Usually partial body
Sublethal
Total and
partial body
Sublethal and
lethal
Narrow beam
Rapid fall off
Narrow beam
Variable
very good
no
rays, betas
poor
Geometry__________
Depth dose eurve
LARGE ANIMALS
gamma,
yes
beta
to skin
hard X-rays,
gamma
fair
good
yes
Varying ~5r/
hr.
yes
~10r/min.
Total body;
beta to skin
Sublethal
360° field
Essentially
flat
Total body
Sublethal and
lethal
Narrow beam
Variable;
rapid fall
off to flat
*Same technicians for all counts; rigidly standardized techniques throughout, ete.
4.42
Comparison With the Japanese Hiroshima
and Nagasaki Data
The limitations stated in Table 4.10 apply to
the Japanese low dose groups* E to H in particular, in which values given (Oughtersenet al.
(12) and Le Roy (13) ) are pooled and include
individuals located at the time of the bombing
*The Japanese casualties were divided into groups
‘A to Hoon the basis of degree of exposure as determined roughly by distance from the hypo-center and
approximate degree of shielding. In groups E te H
essentially ono mortality ascribable to radiation
exposure occurred in the first 3 or 4 months.
such that they may not have received significant exposure. Hence, while the pattern of
change with respect to time is of value, absolute
counts probably are high. The time course of
hematological change in the people of Group I
correspond most closely with these low exposure
Japanese groups in which definite signs of
severe radiation exposure were present in some
individuals but in which essentially no mortality occurred (initial hematological studies
on the Japanese terminated at 15 weeks). The
early period up to approximately 6 weeks was
characterized by considerable variation in total
white count in both the Group I and Japanese