Prognosticating the occupational risk among former uranium miners in Bulgaria depending on cumulative dust radiation exposure

The basic criterion of the occupational hazard at uranium miners are cases of lung carcinomas. Epidemiological researches into the incidence rate of lung cancer among them have not been carried out yet in Bulgaria. For this reason a model of ICRP was used to evaluate to prognosticating lung carcinomas cases in next 5-30 years on the ground of the basic criterion - cumulative dust radiation exposure of workers engaged in underground uranium mining whose number is around 35000 - 50000. For most uranium miners the anticipated occupational risk exceeds that of the rest male population in the country with 615.10-5 - 30750.10-5, without taking into account additional risk factors, such as smoking, toxic chemical agents, etc. aggravating a cancer rate with as much as 20-80 times. According the investigations the cases of lung cancer above the spontaneous rate will be about 6320 at an average 5-times exceeding of the exposure and duration of length service 7 years and a half also often exceeded. The health monitoring of still alive miners according the acts of the Health Ministry (National Centre of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection) should including obligatory determining of the individual 'radon' exposure (the cumulative dose of 222Rn-daughter products inhalation) using blood 210Pb levels as a criterion