Suitability of Chinese oil well loggers for an epidemiologic study of the carcinogenic effects of neutrons

Abstract

Neutron exposures to 191 well loggers at four oil fields in China were measured over a 3-mo period using CR-39 polycarbonate dosimeters. Doses (96% less than 0.02 mGy) were slightly lower than literature values for well loggers in North America, possibly because of differences in drilling activity. Because doses are so low, an epidemiologic study of cancer among Chinese well loggers is unlikely to be informative about the carcinogenicity of neutrons relative to sparsely ionizing radiation.