The variability of translocation yields amongst control populations

This paper represents a summary of discussion and an analysis of control data from those groups present at the workshop of the European Union (EU) Concerted Action on FISH biological dosimetry. Despite acknowledged uncertainties there is a reasonable measure of agreement between the laboratories on data interpretation once the strong age dependence on translocation frequency is accounted for. The results give good hope that a generic age-related control level for chromosome translocation can be ascribed for the purposes of retrospective dosimetry using FISH.