Health Studies
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) continuously conducts and reviews health studies on a variety of areas associated with the production, possession or use of nuclear substances. The information gathered in these studies serves to guide the CNSC in decisions affecting its regulatory framework.
Part of the CNSC's mandate is to provide objective scientific, technical and regulatory information to the public on nuclear-related health and safety topics. The following are highlights of that work.
- Fact Sheet: The KiKK Study Explained
- Depleted Uranium and Canadian Veterans A Review of Potential Exposure and Health Effects
- Tritium
- Port Hope
- Uranium Miners
- Other Miners
- Canadian Nuclear Facilities
- General Population Studies
Hot Topics
CNSC staff constantly review literature from peer-reviewed journals as well as pertinent non-peer-reviewed literature to ensure that the most up-to-date information is used to support our regulatory framework. Comments and interpretations are provided here for selected topics.
- Fact Sheet: The KiKK Study Explained
- Depleted Uranium and Canadian Veterans A Review of Potential Exposure and Health Effects
Useful Tools
To assist readers in their understanding of our technical reports, the CNSC has put together a group of useful resources. These lay the foundation for understanding the different kinds of studies and highlight important factors to consider when reviewing a study. They provide details on the basics of topics like radiation, epidemiology and explain related terminology.
- Basic Epidemiology Concepts
- Introduction to Radiation
- Setting Radiation Protection Requirements on the Basis of Sound Science: The role of Epidemiology (INFO-0812)
- Introduction to Dosimetry (INFO-0827)
- Nuclear and Radiation Glossary
Health Studies - Topics
CNSC staff conduct health studies on various topics, including tritium, uranium mining and milling, other mining activities, nuclear energy workers and members of the general population. These studies are conducted in order to enable the effective management of radiation risks and to set regulatory limits that will protect workers and the public from ionizing radiation.
Tritium
- Tritium Overview
- Tritium Releases and Dose Consequences in Canada in 2006 (INFO-0793)
- Tritium Activity in Garden Produce from Pembroke in 2007 and Dose to the Public (INFO-0798)
- Health Effects, Dosimetry and Radiological Protection of Tritium (INFO-0799)
- Tritium Studies Project Synthesis Report (INFO-0800)
- Review of the knowledge available to date on the effects of tritium exposure on health and the environment in Canada – a tool to guide regulatory compliance monitoring (Journal article, French only)
Port Hope
- Understanding Health Studies and Risk Assessments Conducted in the Port Hope Community from the 1950s to the Present (INFO-0781)
- An ecological study of cancer incidence in Port Hope, Ontario from 1992 to 2007 (Journal article)
- Use of a weight of evidence approach to determine the likelihood of adverse effects on human health from the presence of uranium facilities in Port Hope, Ontario (Journal article)
- Mortality (1950-1999) And Cancer Incidence (1969-1999) Of Workers In The Port Hope Cohort Study Exposed To A Unique Combination Of Radium, Uranium And Gamma-Ray Doses (Journal article)
Uranium Miners
- Updated Analysis of the Eldorado Uranium Miners’ Cohort: Part I of the Saskatchewan Uranium Miners’ Cohort Study (RSP-0205) (RSP-0205 Summary)
- Feasibility Study: Saskatchewan Uranium Miners Cohort Study (Part II) (RSP-0178) (RSP-0178 Summary)
- Mortality (1950-1999) and cancer incidence (1969-1999) in the cohort of Eldorado uranium workers (Journal article)
- Lung cancer mortality (1950-1999) among Eldorado uranium workers: A comparison of the TSCE and ERR models (Journal article)
- Fact Sheet: Polonium-210
- Fact Sheet: Radon
- Radon and Health (INFO-0813) (PDF)
Other Miners
- Radon Progeny Exposure and Lung Cancer: A Mortality Study of Newfoundland Fluorspar Miners 1950-2001 (RSP-0193 Summary)
- Coronary heart disease mortality and radon exposure in the Newfoundland fluorspar miners' cohort, 1950-2001. (Journal article)
- Radon and lung cancer risk: An extension of the mortality follow-up of the Newfoundland fluorspar cohort. (Journal article)
Canadian Nuclear Facilities
- Occupational Dose Data for Major Canadian Nuclear Facilities 2001-07 (INFO-0775)
- Verifying Canadian Nuclear Energy Worker Radiation Risk: A Reanalysis of Cancer Mortality in Canadian Nuclear Energy Workers (1957-1994) (INFO-0811)
General Population Studies
- Radiation and Incidence of Cancer Around Ontario Nuclear Power Plants From 1990 to 2008 (the RADICON Study)
- Evidence of children’s vulnerability to radiation in the context of radiological/nuclear events and considerations for emergency response (Journal article)
- Northern Saskatchewan Health Indicators Report 2011