Million Person Study
The Million Person Study is a retrospective mortality study of the health effects of one million United States workers and veterans who were occupationally exposed to radiation. The Million Person Study comprises many occupationally cohorts, but the larger proportions are the U.S. Department of Energy workers.
The Million Person Study leverages the ORISE data assets from past ORISE epidemiologic studies and current surveillance systems that are maintained in the Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource (CEDR), the DOE Radiation Exposure Monitoring System (REMS), and the NRC Radiation Exposure Information and Reporting System (REIRS). Collectively, these resources capture more than 75 years of occupational radiation data, dating from 1942 to present. In addition to the data access and data management, ORISE provides historical knowledge of DOE operations and subject matter expertise in occupational epidemiology, radiation dose assessment, and biostatistical modeling.
ORISE researchers and the study team are actively producing scientific publications, presentations, and reports to ensure results are communicated throughout DOE and broader scientific community. A representative list of publications is provided here:
- Ko Y, Howard SC, Golden AP, French B. 2024. Adjustment for duration of employment in occupational epidemiology. Annals of Epidemiology, Volume 94, 33-41.
- Boice JD, Cohen SS, Mumma MT, Chen H, Golden AP, Beck HL, Till JE. 2022. Mortality among US military participants at eight aboveground nuclear weapons test series. International Journal of Radiation Biology. 98:4, 679-700.
- Golden AP, Ellis E, Cohen S, Mumma M, Leggett R, Wallace P, Girardi D, Watkins J, Shore E, Boice J. 2022. Updated mortality analysis of the Mallinckrodt uranium processing workers, 1942-2012, International Journal of Radiation Biology, 98:4, 701-721.
- Boice JD Jr, Ellis ED, Golden AP, Zablotska LB, Mumma MT, Cohen SS. 2022. Sex-specific lung cancer risk among radiation workers in the Million Person Study and among TB-fluoroscopy patients. International Journal of Radiation Biology, 98:4, 769-780.
- Ellis ED, Girardi D, Golden AP, Wallace PW, Phillips J, Cragle DL. 2022. Historical perspective on the Department of Energy mortality studies: Focus on the collection and storage of individual worker data. International Journal of Radiation Biology, 98:4, 560-567.
ORISE epidemiologists present at NCRP Annual Meeting
ORISE Health Studies Director Ashley Golden, Ph.D., and ORISE Epidemiologist Sara Howard were invited presenters at the 2025 National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) Annual Meeting. The overall theme for the NCRP Annual Meeting was, “The Million Person Study: Current Results and Vision for Radiation Epidemiology and Protection,” which was intended to highlight the important work of the Million Person Study (MPS) for ensuring the health of the nuclear workforce through rigorous evaluation of the health risks associated from ionizing radiation exposure in one million U.S. workers and veterans.
Video Spotlight
The Epidemiological Study of One Million Persons
Health effects from radiation exposure in former uranium production workers at Mallinckrodt were examined as part of the Million Person Study. In addition to data access and management, ORISE provided historical insight of DOE operations, as well as subject matter expertise in occupational epidemiology, radiation dose assessment, and biostatistical modelling.
