Registry of plutonium-induced lung fibrosis in a cohort of nuclear workers of the Mayak production association

The registry of plutonium-induced lung fibrosis cases (PuLF) diagnosed in members of a cohort of the first Russian nuclear industry facility Mayak Production Association was established in the clinical department of the Southern Urals Biophysics Institute of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency (SUBI). The registry includes 188 plutonium-induced lung fibrosis diagnoses: 117 (62.23%) in males and 71 (37.77%) in females. This paper describes the structure and detailed characteristics of the registry. The number of PuLF cases was shown to have no association with cumulative lung absorbed dose from external gamma rays as of the date of diagnosis. On the contrary, the PuLF rate was shown to be associated with cumulative lung absorbed dose from incorporated alpha particles and to increase significantly with increasing dose from internal radiation exposure. This paper discusses potential applications of the registry to scientific investigations in the future.