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BackgroundExcessive radon exposure is considered the second risk factor for lung cancer. Since the opening of the subway in a city of Zhejiang Province, the exposure level of radioactive gas radon in subway stations and its impact on occupational health have become one of the important issues of public concern. ObjectiveTo monitor the radon concentration of subways in a city in Zhejiang Province and explore the effect of radon exposure on chromosome aberration and micronuclei in the working population. MethodsA total of 55 vehicle control rooms of 55 stations affiliated to two different subway lines in a city were measured for one year; the 110 ticket offices and 55 security checkpoints from the same 55 stations were measured from 16 March to 14 June. The radon concentrations were compared by job types, subway lines, and seasons referring to Measurement methods for determination of radon in environmental air (HJ 1212-2021). Peripheral blood lymphocyte chromosome aberration and micronucleus analyses were conducted in 165 subway workers from monitoring sites for three different job types, then the influencing factors were analyzed. The detection methods were adopted from the standards of Test and assessment of chromosomal aberrations on occupational health examinations for radiation workers (GBZ/T 248-2014) and Standard for the method of micronucleus detection in lymphocytes on occupational health examination for radiation workers and exposure dose estimation (GBZ/T 328-2023). ResultsThe radon concentration range of the target subways in Zhejiang Province was 10-320 Bq·m−3, all lower than the national limit (≤400 Bq·m−3). The differences in radon radioactivity levels among different lines, job types, and time segments were statistically significant (P0.05). Chromosome aberration and micronuclei varied by age, subway station seniority, and smoking (P0.05). ConclusionThe radon concentration in the target subway system is at a normal level. The rates of chromosomal aberration and micronucleus formation vary by jobs, but both are lower than the corresponding national limits. Therefore, radon exposure has not yet caused outstanding health impact on the subway workers.

ObjectiveAssess the level of radiation-related knowledge (RRK) and nuclear energy-related knowledge (NERK) among residents near the Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant, the first project adopted the Advanced Passive Pressurized Water Reactor (AP1000) technology.MethodsIn this study, respondents were selected using stratified multi-stage random sampling for residents aged 18 years and above living within 30 kilometers of the Sanmen Nuclear Power Station. Respondents were surveyed face-to-face by investigators who received standardized training. The results of the survey were collated and analysed to assess the RRK and NERK levels of the respondents from both subjective and objective perspectives, and the anxiety levels were assessed using the Likert Scale. Factors affecting RRK, NERK and anxiety levels of residents were analysed using multiple linear regression analysis.ResultsThe study interviewed 751 individuals. Participants correctly answered an average of 2.76 out of 7 objective radiation knowledge questions, yielding a 39.4% RRK cognition rate. For nuclear energy knowledge, the average was 2.14 out of 7, resulting in a 30.5% NERK cognition rate. Spearman’s correlation and multiple linear regression analyses revealed that higher education and younger age were positively correlated with RRK and NERK. Gender significantly influenced NERK, with males scoring higher than females. Anxiety levels were inversely related to age and directly related to education. Regression analyses also indicated that occupation affected nuclear-related anxiety, and married and unmarried individuals exhibited higher anxiety levels than widowed individuals.ConclusionResidents near the Sanmen Nuclear Power Station showed improvements in RRK and NERK, but levels remained low. Both RRK and NERK correlated with age and education, while NERK was also linked to gender. Anxiety among residents was associated with age, education, occupation, and marital status. These findings highlight the need for improved public education on RRK and NERK, effective engagement strategies, and measures to address residents’ anxiety to enhance decision-making and social trust regarding nuclear safety.

ObjectivesModel prediction of radioactivity levels around nuclear facilities is a useful tool for assessing human health risks and environmental impacts. We aim to develop a model for forecasting radioactivity levels in the environment and food around the world’s first AP 1000 nuclear power unit.MethodsIn this work, we report a pilot study using time-series radioactivity monitoring data to establish Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models for predicting radioactivity levels. The models were screened by Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), and the model accuracy was evaluated by mean absolute percentage error (MAPE).ResultsThe optimal models, ARIMA (0, 0, 0) × (0, 1, 1)4, and ARIMA (4, 0, 1) were used to predict activity concentrations of 90Sr in food and cumulative ambient dose (CAD), respectively. From the first quarter (Q1) to the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023, the predicted values of 90Sr in food and CAD were 0.067–0.77 Bq/kg, and 0.055–0.133 mSv, respectively. The model prediction results were in good agreement with the observation values, with MAPEs of 21.4 and 22.4%, respectively. From Q1 to Q4 of 2024, the predicted values of 90Sr in food and CAD were 0.067–0.77 Bq/kg and 0.067–0.129 mSv, respectively, which were comparable to values reported elsewhere.ConclusionThe ARIMA models developed in this study showed good short-term predictability, and can be used for dynamic analysis and prediction of radioactivity levels in environment and food around Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant.

IntroductionSanmen nuclear power plant (SNPP) operates the first advanced passive (AP1000) nuclear power unit in China.MethodsTo assess the radiological impacts of SNPP operation on the surrounding environment and the public health, annual effective dose (AED) and excess risk (ER) were estimated based on continuous radioactivity monitoring in drinking water and ambient dose before and after its operation during 2014–2021. In addition, the residents' cancer incidence was further analyzed through authorized health data collection.ResultsThe results showed that the gross α and gross β radioactivity in all types of drinking water were ranged from 0.008 to 0.017 Bq/L and 0.032 to 0.112 Bq/L, respectively. The cumulative ambient dose in Sanmen county ranged from 0.254 to 0.460 mSv/y, with an average of 0.354 ± 0.075 mSv/y. There is no statistical difference in drinking water radioactivity and ambient dose before and after the operation of SNPP according to Mann–Whitney U test. The Mann-Kendall test also indicates there is neither increasing nor decreasing trend during the period from 2014 to 2021. The age-dependent annual effective doses due to the ingestion of drinking water or exposure to the outdoor ambient environment are lower than the recommended threshold of 0.1 mSv/y. The incidence of cancer (include leukemia and thyroid cancer) in the population around SNPP is slightly higher than that in other areas, while it is still in a stable state characterized by annual percentage changes.DiscussionThe current comprehensive results show that the operation of SNPP has so far no evident radiological impact on the surrounding environment and public health, but continued monitoring is still needed in the future.

Objective: Follow-up observation of radiation accident in which a worker developed acute radiation disease and eventually died of leukemia. The case provided key practical information for the study on clinical effects of radiation on the health of workers.Case Presentation: We observed and followed-up the progression and effect of radiation exposure at various stages in a 28-year-old male patient. We examined the chromosomal morphology, white blood cell count, and sperm count. Laboratory tests for leukemia diagnosis and other clinical parameters were performed.Results: After the patient was irradiated, the white blood cell level decreased, the sperm count dropped to 0, and the libido completely disappeared. The patient's chromosome aberration cell rate and total chromosome aberration cell rate were 7.33 and 7.66%, respectively. Examination of leukemia diagnostic experiments revealed that abnormal cells accounted for 60%; bone marrow examination showed that prolymphocytes abnormally proliferated, accounting for 89%, and had positive extracellular iron staining. After the initial treatment, the patient's white blood cell level increased and was finally maintained at a normal level, the sperm count returned to normal levels, and libido was restored. The patient died of acute lymphoblastic leukemia 34 years after the exposure.Conclusion: More attention has been paid to the long-term effects of ionizing radiation-induced malignant tumors. The occupational protection of radiographic inspection workers should be strengthened to reduce and avoid occupational injuries to protect the health and safety of workers.

Objectives.The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in 3′UTR of XPO5 gene and the occurrence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), and to further explore the regulatory mechanism of miRNAs in NIHL on XPO5 gene. Methods.We conducted a case-control study involving 1040 cases and 1060 controls. The effects of SNPs on XPO5 expression were studied by genotyping, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), cell transfection, and the dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results.We genotyped four SNPs (rs2257082, rs11077, rs7755135, and rs1106841) in the XPO5 gene. The rs2257082 AG/GG carriers have special connection to an increased risk of noise-induced hearing loss compared to the AA carriers. The rs11077TG/GG carriers had a significantly increased association with NIHL susceptibility than the TT carriers. There was a higher risk of NIHL in the XPO5 gene rs7755135 CC carriers than in the TT carriers. No statistically significant correlation was obtained with respect to SNPrs1106841. Functional experiments showed that the rs11077 change might inhibit the interaction between miRNAs (miRNA-4763-5p, miRNA-5002-3p, and miRNA-617) and XPO5, with rs11077G allele resulting in overexpression of XPO5. Conclusion. The genetic polymorphism, rs11077, within XPO5 is associated with the risk of noise-induced hearing loss in a Chinese population.

Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), a multifactorial disease involving both genetic and environmental factors, is one of the most important occupational health hazards. Nonetheless, the influence of FOXO3 variants on NIHL risk have not been illuminated. This research was conducted to explore the effects of FOXO3 polymorphisms on individual susceptibility to NIHL. A total of 2689 industrial workers from one textile factory of east China were recruited to participate in the current research. Venous blood was collected, questionnaire and pure-tone audiometry (PTA) was conducted by specialist physicians. Then, we performed genotyping of three selected SNPs (rs2802292, rs10457180, and rs12206094) in FOXO3 gene in 566 NIHL patients and 566 controls. Subsequently, the main effects of genotype and its interactions were evaluated. Our results revealed that individuals with the G allele of rs2802292, G allele of rs10457180, T allele of rs12206094 (OR = 1.43, 1.43, and 1.31 respectively) and the haplotype GAC and others (TGT/GGT/GGC/GAT) (rs2802292-rs10457180-rs12206094) (OR = 1.49 and 2.09 respectively) are associated with an increased risk of NIHL in a Chinese population. Stratified analysis showed that an increased NIHL risk was found in the subjects who exposed to noise >16 years with rs2802292 GG/GT and rs10457180 AG/GG genotype with an OR of 1.62 and 1.66 respectively. Multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis indicated that rs10457180, rs2802292, and rs12206094 have interactions and are related to increased NIHL risk (OR = 1.53). The genetic polymorphism rs2802292, rs10457180, and rs12206094 within FOXO3 gene are associated with an increased risk of NIHL in a Chinese population and have potential to be biomarkers for noise exposed workers.