Radiation-induced human chromosome aberration yields following an accidental whole-body exposure to 60 Co -rays.

Abstract

Chromosome aberration yields were obtained from short-term peripheral leukocyte cultures established at various times after an accidental whole-body exposure to60 Co γ-rays. The yield of centric rings plus dicentrics did not vary significantly over the first 32 days after exposure. The mean yield for this sampling period was 0.228 ± 0.010 centric rings plus dicentrics per cell. Based on the coefficients of aberration production obtained from an acute γ-ray dose-response study on cells in vitro this yield corresponds to an average midline dose of 144 R. This biological estimate is in excellent agreement with the physically derived estimate of 127 R that was obtained by irradiating an Alderson Rando phantom containing LiF thermoluminescent dosimeters under conditions as similar as possible to those of the patient's exposure.