Occupational and Environmental Exposures to Radon: Cancer Risks

The Health Effects of Low-Level Ionizing Radiation

“…From the excess lung cancer risk (above that expected from smoking) in miners, we can estimate the resulting residential lung cancer risks by modeling lifetime radon exposures in the home, as the dose per unit radon exposure is essentially the same in homes as in mines (31,56). In the three main published estimates of the risk of lung cancer arising from environmen tal radon exposure (36,58,66) , the risk models have differed significantly in basic assumptions, but the quantitative estimates of lung cancer risk have agreed within a factor of three (Table 4) and are consistent with the pre liminary results of case-control studies on the risks arising from environmen tal exposure (5).…”

Multiple Stressor Effects of Radon and Phthalates in Children: Background Information and Future Research

“…Apart from exposures to radon progeny as detailed above in Section 2, people are exposed to various toxic chemicals such as cigarette smoke and phthalates. In fact, concerns have been raised about increased lung cancer risk due to indoor radon, which might have combined health effects with other carcinogenic chemicals and aerosols such as cigarette smoke [71]. While exposures to cigarette smoke as well as phthalates are associated with asthma and allergic symptoms, combined exposures to radon progeny and cigarette smoke are more likely to occur in adult smokers, but not as likely in pediatrics.…”

Measurement of Individual Radon Progeny in Egyptian Under Ground Coal Mine and Related Lung Doses

“…These decay products are inhaled and deposited in the different regions of the respiratory tract, where they release alpha irradiation, which interacts with the respiratory epithelium. Alpha particles release high energy and cause intense local ionization, which damages tissue and increases subsequent risk of cancer [3]. The Main Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) regulate both uranium and nonuranium mines for air concentration of radon daughters.…”

“…Epidemiological studies of health effects from exposures to radon daughters have been conducted in pyrite, phosphate, fluorspar and shale-clay mines. Although the concentration of radon daughters in nonmetal mines are usually lower than those in metal mines, radon daughters and the associated lung cancer risk should be considered when evaluating the health of any miner [3]. Epidemiological investigations of uranium and other underground miners have provided extensive and consistent data on the quantitative risk of lung cancer associated with exposure to radon progeny in [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Occupational exposures were reviewed in reference [12] in which also a number of recommendations were made with regard to data analyses to obtain much clearer indications of occupational exposure in all areas of work, not only to workers in uranium and coal mines.…”