Radiation-hygienic aspects of reproductive health in males of the staff of the nuclear power plant

The aim of this study was a retrospective evaluation of the reproductive health of the male staff of the Kalinin and Kursk nuclear power plant (NPP).

Material and Methods. Fertility indices were used for the evaluation of the reproductive health status (ability to have children) and the health status of their offspring. For the assessment of the fertility there were used data concerning the marital status, childbirths and radiation doses received by males, obtained from the questionnaires, developed as part of this study. The data about the health of newborns was obtained from information copied from the individual cards of pregnant history cases and infant history case. In total, in the study there was analyzed data on the marital status of 679 men from Kalinin and 631 men from Kursk NPP, as well as data on the 735 and 813 newborn in the families of staff of the Kalinin and Kursk NPP, and data on 1438 and 1284 pregnant women respectively. As control groups there were used data about health of newborns and pregnant women of cities of Udomlya and Kurchatov. The combined groups included 1549 newborns and of 2718 pregnant women.

Results. Infertile marriages due to the male infertility accounted for 7.3% of the Kalinin NPP personnel, and 2.5% — of Kursk NPP personnel. The incidence and complication rates of the pregnancy in families of Kalinin and Kursk NPP staff are comparable with those in the control group of pregnant women and were 75.7%, 61.6% and 71.0%, respectively. Adverse pregnancy outcomes (spontaneous abortions and early neonatal death of the newborn) were recorded in 6.9%, 0.1% in the families of the personnel of the Kalinin NPP and 8.9%, 0.2% in the families of the personnel Kursk of the NPP complying with the control values of 7.6% 0.2%, respectively. The frequency of the birth of the health child corresponds to control values as  73.6% of the families of the personnel of the Kalinin NPP, amounting to 65.3% in the families of the personnel of the Kursk NPP and 69.7% in the control group. The relative risk of birth of a child with congenital malformations RR = 0,84 in the families of staff at Kalinin NPP and RR = 1.0 — at Kursk NPP.

Conclusion. No impact of occupational exposure on the reproductive health was revealed for the male staff both at Kalinin and Kursk NPP.