Radiation workers and infertility,impotence

Radiation workers and infertility, impotence

There is no scientific evidence that radiation exposure will cause impotence

Temporary sterility may occur at a lower dose of 0.15Gy (150mGy) in a few months post exposure

All available resources need to be used while counselling persons exposed to radiation

Ill-informed radiation workers have very exaggerated notions about the health effects of ionizing radiation. Fortunately, they are a minority. They rarely get opportunities to clear their doubts. Often, they are reluctant to ask. More so, if their doubts are on intensely private topics such as the impact, if any, of radiation exposure on fertility and sexual performance!

Sterility due to radiation exposure is a deterministic effect.

These effects do not occur until the radiation dose reaches a minimum threshold. For instance, the threshold dose for permanent sterility in the male for a single absorbed dose in the testes is about 3.5Gy (3,500mGy) to 6Gy (6,000mGy).
Speedy recovery

Temporary sterility may occur at a lower dose of 0.15Gy (150mGy) after a few months post exposure. It may continue for some months.

The exposed person will recover after a few months. (Gy is a unit of radiation dose; since Gy is large, milligray (mGy) — a dose equal to one thousandth of a Gy — is commonly used; the annual dose limit for radiation workers recommended by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is 30 mGy for x-rays, gamma rays and electrons; average dose to radiation workers is a fraction of a mGY to a few mGy).

The annual reports of AERB contain relevant details about the radiation doses to workers in India (please see www.aerb.gov.in ).

As the doses received by different groups of radiation workers are several hundred to several thousand times lower than the threshold dose, no worker will suffer sterility due to radiation exposure.

Workers in India have been handling radiation sources for the past several decades. Over the years, there were a few serious incidents involving high radiation doses to individuals who carried sources inadvertently.

There has not been even a single instance of any worker becoming permanently sterile due to occupational radiation exposure. There is no scientific evidence that radiation exposure will cause impotence.
Scientific facts

Publication 60 of the ICRP contains scientific facts about radiation exposure and health effects including sterility. Patients trust their physicians. But few physicians have adequate knowledge in the subject. This became evident during the radiation protection appreciation programmes arranged by AERB a few years ago.
Wrong advice

According to WHO, 10 to 15 per cent of Indian couples are sterile. An exposed person may not get the right advice if he approaches homeopaths and doctors practicing alternative medicine; they are not equipped to offer counsel.

I came across an instance in which in spite of the ‘advice,’ he received, an exposed worker was worried over his erectile dysfunction, which he wrongly attributed to radiation exposure.

Apparently, he had less faith in the really competent physician who offered correct advice!

Scholarly discussion with facts and figures on radiation and its effects has a role to play during medical counselling; but that alone may not reassure an exposed worker.

While researching to write this paper, I asked Dr Robert Brent, Distinguished Professor of paediatrics, radiology and pathology, Thomas Jefferson University, whether he has an information package to counsel exposed workers. Dr. Brent has counselled many thousands of patients, particularly pregnant women, on effect of radiation on the unborn, during his distinguished career over several decades. He contributed significantly to address the topic at the Health Physics Society Ask the Expert (HPS ATE) web site.

“We have many answers on the HPS ATE website that pertain to these questions, however, the anxiety level of the questioner is usually high and they want a personal answer to their questions and concerns.

Each exposure is different as are the circumstances; generic answers do not help these contacts.

They want the personal touch and that is what we give them. The risk of cancer from low exposures of radiation is very anxiety provoking and an erudite generic paragraph just does not solve the contact’s concern,” Dr Brent responded to an e-mail message. Counselling persons who were exposed to radiation is a challenging job. A specialist can do it competently if he uses all the resources available to him.

K.S.PARTHASARATHY

Former Secretary, AERB

( ksparth@yahoo.co.uk)

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