[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 11 (Thursday, January 18, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2286-2287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-625]
[[Page 2286]]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
National Cancer Institute; Proposed Collection; Comment
Requested; Study to Improve Thyroid Doses From Fallout Exposure in
Kazakhstan--Follow-up
Summary: In compliance with the requirement of Section
3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity
for public comment on proposed data collection projects, National
Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will
publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.
Proposed Collection
Title: Study to improve thyroid doses from fallout exposure in
Kazakhstan--Follow-up, Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of
Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI). The
proposed work builds on an existing study conducted 1998 of radiation
exposure and thyroid disease among individuals in Kazakhstan exposed
during childhood to radioactive fallout from nuclear tests conducted at
the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS) between 1949 and 1962. The
1998 study recruited 3000 participants who were 21 years of age or
younger at fallout exposure, from eight villages. Analyses of
preliminary dose estimates suggest that internal and external exposures
independently and significantly contributed to the dose response for
thyroid nodules. Type of Information Collection Request: NEW.
This study population in Kazakhstan is unique in several ways. This
is only the fourth major population in which dose-response has been
studied for thyroid disease associated with environmental releases of
radioactive materials. The conditions of fallout exposure in Kazakhstan
are directly relevant to conditions following a hypothetical nuclear
accident or a terrorist attack involving high levels of local fallout.
Among large study populations with high exposure following
environmental releases of radioactive materials, this population is
second in size only to those most heavily exposed to radioactive
materials released during the 1986 Chornobyl reactor accident. However,
unlike the Chornobyl population, the Kazakhstan population was exposed
to high levels of radiation from external as well as internal sources.
This allows us to evaluate the relative effectiveness of internal and
external radiation exposures in terms of thyroid disease risk within a
single population. Need and Use of Information Collection: NCI proposes
a small-scale field study to acquire new data to improve our estimates
of internal and external radiation dose and thereby refine the dose-
response estimates. Retrospective information about factors influencing
radiation dose to the thyroid gland in children of two distinct ethnic
groups (Kazakh and Russian) will be collected using focus group
interviews. These new collected data will address key weaknesses in the
current dosimetry, including milk and milk product consumption, time
typically spent outdoors, radiation shielding provided by dwellings and
other buildings, and seasonal practices of pasturing and supplemental
feeding of dairy animals at the time of the nuclear tests. Since the
objective is to estimate group-specific mean values (and ranges) and
not to collect individual data, focus groups are better suited than
conventional in-depth individual interviews.
Focus group members for each village will consist of two sets of
participants who (i) speak Russian or Kazakh and are able to
participate in a 2 hour focus group session, and (ii) have verified
history of residence in the village at the time of the nuclear tests
will be recruited for the study.
Frequency of Response: Once;
Affected Public: Individual and household.
Type of Respondent: Women, Men age 65 or older
Estimated Number of Respondents: 128.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Average Burden Hours per Response: 2.0. Annual Burden Hours
Requested: 256.
Women: In each village, three groups of 8 women ages 65
years and older who had children less than age 15 years or provided
care to children in this age group (i.e., younger siblings, nieces and
nephews) at the time of the nuclear tests.
Men: In each village, 8 men ages 65 and older who were
engaged in farming and care of dairy animals at the time of the nuclear
tests.
Since the main exposure years (time of the tests) varies by
village, specific eligibility requirements will be applied to each
village. Verification of residence history will be based on regional
records.
Table A.--Total Burden Estimates for Data Collection
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Number of Average burden
Form Number of responses per per response Total burden
respondents respondent (in hours) (in hours)
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Focus Group..................................... 128 1 2 hours 256
Male........................................ 32 1 2 hours 64
Female...................................... 96 1 2 hours 192
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Total................................... .............. .............. .............. 256
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There are no Capital Costs to report. There are no Operating or
Maintenance Costs to report.
Request for Comments
Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected
agencies are invited on one or more of the following points: (1)
Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the
proposed performance of the functions of the agency, including whether
the information shall have practical utility; (2) The accuracy of the
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who are to respond, including the
use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
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For Further Information Contact: To request more information on the
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and
instruments, contact Charles Land, Project Officer, National Cancer
Institute, EPS , 6120 Executive Boulevard MSC 7238, Bethesda, Maryland
20852, or call non-toll free number 301-594-7165 or FAX your request,
including your address to 301-402-0207.
Comments Due Date
Comments regarding this information collection are best assured of
having their full effect if received within 60 days of this
publication.
Dated: January 8, 2007.
Rachelle Ragland-Greene,
NCI Project Clearance Liaison, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E7-625 Filed 1-17-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P