Effects of radiation on health-examination results of Japanese radiological technologists

We investigated the effects of irradiation, smoking and drinking on health-examination results of Japanese male radiological technologists. We classified radiological technologists according to radiation exposure dose, smoking and drinking situation. We defined the reference group whose radiation doses were less than 30 cGy and who were nonsmokers and nondrinkers. We compared 27 items of serum biochemical examinations, blood pressure and 4 items of peripheral blood cell examinations between the reference group and the other groups after tested the normality of each investigated item after transformation and rejection of outliers. Inorganic phosphorus in the high-dose group was significantly higher than those of the reference group. The leukocyte counts in the high-dose group was significantly lower than those of the reference group. On LAP, ALP, albumin and beta-lipoprotein, the effects of irradiation were slight, but potentiated those of smoking and drinking. The rate of abnormal value on high-dose groups was higher than those of the reference group on albumin and ALP, but the same on LAP, beta-lipoprotein, inorganic phosphorus and the leukocyte counts. (author)