Population Study in the High Natural Background Radiation Area in Kerala, India

Nair, Muralidharan; Nambi, K.S.V.; Amma, N. Sreedevi; Gangadharan, P; Jayalekshmi, P; Sreedharan, Jayadevan; Cherian, Varghese I.; Reghuram, K. Nair

doi:10.2307/3580134

Cited by 87 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…In China (Yangjiang and its surrounding area), people are exposed to two levels of radiation per year-6.4 and 2.4 mSv, respectively. There was no increase in cancer or mortality (142,143), although the higher level of background radiation was confirmed by a higher incidence of chromosomal aberration (144). The existence of these aberrations despite the absence of a cancer excess is an argument in favor of the absence of a causal relationship between a chromosomal aberration and cancers.…”

Section: High Background Radiationmentioning

confidence: 89%

The Linear No-Threshold Relationship Is Inconsistent with Radiation Biologic and Experimental Data

Tubiana¹,

Feinendegen²,

Yang³

et al. 2009

Radiology

445

289

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Section: High Background Radiationmentioning

confidence: 89%

The Linear No-Threshold Relationship Is Inconsistent with Radiation Biologic and Experimental Data

Tubiana¹,

Feinendegen²,

Yang³

et al. 2009

Radiology

445

289

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“…One viewpoint is that even the lowest amount of radiation is a health risk (Preston, 2008) while another viewpoint is that low level radiation is innocuous (Nair et al 1999) and yet another view is that it may provide a health benefit through hormesis (Allright et al 1983;Jagger, 1998;Luckey, 2006;Scott and Di Palma, 2006). The variable radiation can be indirectly studied by assessing land elevation, which is directly related to natural background radiation (NBR) (NRC, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer Mortality, State Mean Elevations, and other Selected Predictors

Hart

Hyun

2010

Dose-Response

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ᮀ This ecological inquiry compares cancer mortality rates in the U.S. to the predictor of natural background radiation (via land elevation means) along with eight other predictors thought to be associated with cancer mortality. Age-adjusted cancer mortality in 2006 was compared to the predictors of mean land elevation, percent of smokers, educational attainment, percent of population without health insurance, income, obesity, health perception, physical activity, and diet. Among the six predictors considered appropriate for multiple linear regression, three were found to be statistically significant; from strongest to weakest, these three were: smoking, land elevation, and educational attainment. The predictors of smoking and educational attainment have long been considered associated with cancer mortality. The finding that the predictor of land elevation / natural background radiation is inversely related to cancer mortality is another piece of evidence supporting the theory of radiation hormesis. In this study, land elevation / natural background radiation ranked second in predictive strength regarding cancer mortality, behind smoking and ahead of educational attainment. Since this is an ecological inquiry, no causal inferences can be made.

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“…However, since Karunagappally is known for high background radiation from thorium-containing monazite sand ( Fig. 1), [14][15][16] it has been concerned that lung cancer risk and other cancer risks are increased by exposure to high-level natural radiation and/or by synergistic effect between radiation and other factors, including bidi smoking. In the late 1980s, we started the project to establish a cohort of all residents of Karunagappally taluk mainly to study the potential health effects of high background radiation.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Bidi smoking and lung cancer incidence among males in Karunagappally cohort in Kerala, India

Jayalekshmy¹,

Akiba²,

Nair³

et al. 2008

Intl Journal of Cancer

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The association of lung cancer incidence with bidi smoking was examined using a cohort study data in Karunagappally, Kerala, India. We sought interview of all the residents in Karunagappally with the population of 385,103 in 1991 census, and established a cohort of 359,619 (93% of the population in 1991) in the 1990s. There were 65,829 men aged 30–84 at interview after excluding those diagnosed as cancer or died of any cause before 1997. Among them, 212 newly diagnosed lung cancer cases were ascertained during the 8‐year period between 1997 and 2004 through Karunagappally Cancer Registry. The relative risk (RR) of lung cancer was obtained from Poisson regression analysis of grouped data. Lung cancer incidence was relatively high among Moslem people and those with lower educational history. When taking into account attained age, religion and education, the RR between current bidi smokers and those who had never smoked bidis was 3.9 (95%CI = 2.6–6.0, p < 0.001). The lung cancer risk did not return to the level of non‐smokers within 10 years after cessation. In further analyses using only those never smoked cigarettes to examine the effect of bidi smoking alone on lung cancer risk, current smokers of bidis had the RR of 4.6 (95%CI = 2.5–8.5, p < 0.001). Lung cancer incidence increased with larger amounts of bidi smoked a day (p < 0.001), with longer durations of smoking bidis (p < 0.001), and with younger ages starting smoking bidis (p < 0.001). Immediate measures should be taken to stop bidi smoking, which is common in south Asia. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Population Study in the High Natural Background Radiation Area in Kerala, India

Cited by 87 publications

References 2 publications

The Linear No-Threshold Relationship Is Inconsistent with Radiation Biologic and Experimental Data

The Linear No-Threshold Relationship Is Inconsistent with Radiation Biologic and Experimental Data

Cancer Mortality, State Mean Elevations, and other Selected Predictors

Bidi smoking and lung cancer incidence among males in Karunagappally cohort in Kerala, India

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