84 



HEALTH ASSESSMENTS 



Besides demonstrating its capabilities for characterizing waste, remediating 

 waste, and developing applicable technologies, the DOE has achieved much in 

 its studies of the health effects of contamination. The DOE's most relevant 

 project for this hearing is its investigation of the radiological health 

 effects on the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and on those exposed to 

 high doses of radiation as a result of the Chernobyl accident in the Former 

 Soviet Union. 



Radiation Effects Research Foundation studies of Japanese Atomic Bomb 

 Survivors have revealed much about the effects of both high-level and low- 

 level exposure to radiation. 



DOE's Joint Coordinating Committee for Civilian Nuclear Reactor Safety has set 

 up working groups that will help determine the dose levels of the 

 radionuclides that are associated with the health effects of Chernobyl. The 

 primary working group will develop validated models for dose protection in 

 future accidents and physical dosimetry for dose reconstruction with higher 

 doses. Projects for the working groups include atmospheric dispersion 

 modeling; evaluating radionuclides doses through the terrestrial and aquatic 

 food chains; planning epidemiologic studies on thyroid effects and leukemia; 

 conducting surveys of adult and child health; and analyzing clinical data on 

 acute radiation syndrome patients. Overall, this project has helped DOE to 

 determine the health and environmental effects of data for populations 

 affected by the Chernobyl accident and to relate health effects to a level of 



