Mortality study of Canadian military personnel exposed to radiation: atomic test blasts and Chalk River nuclear reactor clean-ups, 1950's

This report describes a historical cohort study of the group of Canadian military personnel exposed to radiation in the 1950s at atomic bomb test blasts in the U.S. and Australia, and at clean-up operations at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories. Overall and cause-specific mortality in the exposed group was compared to that of the control cohort of unexposed military personnel, matched on age, service, rank and trade. Analyses indicated no elevation in the exposed cohort, in overall or cause-specific mortality due to diseases associated with radiation. Since this study was restricted to an investigation of mortality, we must stress that we cannot generalize these results or conclusions to current morbidity experienced by the exposed cohort