Intercomparison in Cytogenetic Dosimetry among 22 Laboratories in China

As part of a regional International Atomic Energy Agency-coordinated research project with the support from the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China, 22 laboratories participated in the intercomparison in cytogenetic dosimetry in China. Slides for chromosomal aberrations were prepared by the Department of Radiation Epidemiology, National Institute for Radiological Protection, which organized the exercise. Slides were sent to the other participating laboratories through Express Mail Service. For estimates of dose, each laboratory scored the frequency of dicentrics plus centric rings chromosomes. The whole blood samples were irradiated with 60Co γ-rays (1.3 Gy, 2.4 Gy and 1.5 Gy, 2.6 Gy). Each laboratory got one group of the slides. Ten of the 44 estimates of dose fell within ±5% of the true physical dose, 12 fell within ±5–10%, 9 fell within ±10–15%, 12 fell within ±15–20%, while only one sample fell ± >20%. The evaluation of the respective dose was achieved by 21 laboratories.