The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Assessment of Risks From Indoor Radon

Pawel, David J.; Puskin, Jerome S.

doi:10.1097/00004032-200407000-00008

Cited by 60 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The somewhat larger, more polarizable Rn atom is expected to exhibit stronger van der Waals interactions with TTEC than Xe, as supported by the measured enhancement in free energy of binding. Despite the institution of government-sponsored detection and remediation programs in many countries (29), contemporary assessments show that radon exposure remains the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking, in the United States (30,31). Although the environmental health risks posed by radon are well recognized, studies of radon binding to well-defined synthetic or biological targets have not been performed; studies have tended to focus on the association of radon progeny, not radon itself (32).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement of radon and xenon binding to a cryptophane molecular host

Jacobson

Khan²,

Collé³

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Xenon and radon have many similar properties, a difference being that all 35 isotopes of radon ( 195 Rn– 229 Rn) are radioactive. Radon is a pervasive indoor air pollutant believed to cause significant incidence of lung cancer in many geographic regions, yet radon affinity for a discrete molecular species has never been determined. By comparison, the chemistry of xenon has been widely studied and applied in science and technology. Here, both noble gases were found to bind with exceptional affinity to tris-(triazole ethylamine) cryptophane, a previously unsynthesized water-soluble organic host molecule. The cryptophane–xenon association constant, K a = 42,000 ± 2,000 M -1 at 293 K, was determined by isothermal titration calorimetry. This value represents the highest measured xenon affinity for a host molecule. The partitioning of radon between air and aqueous cryptophane solutions of varying concentration was determined radiometrically to give the cryptophane–radon association constant K a = 49,000 ± 12,000 M -1 at 293 K.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement of radon and xenon binding to a cryptophane molecular host

Jacobson

Khan²,

Collé³

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…41 The increased risk attributed to radon is from domestic exposure, due to diffusion of radon from the soil. High radon concentrations have been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer in underground miners.…”

Section: Radonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology of Lung Cancer

McErlean¹,

Ginsberg

2011

Seminars in Roentgenology

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“…Exposure to the decay progeny of radon can result in significant doses, especially to radiosensitive portions of the lung, and this exposure has been implicated as a potential contributor to lung cancer (NRC 1999;NCRP 1988NCRP , 1989Pawel and Puskin 2004). Concentrations of radon, the subsequent radiation doses to the lung, and corresponding cancer risk to residents have been extensively studied and reported (NCRP 1988;NRC 1988NRC , 1999UNSCEAR 2000), but much fewer studies have included measurements in workplaces other than mines (Annanmaki et al 1996;lAEA 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Work to Save Dose: Contrasting Effective Dose Rates From Radon Exposure in Workplaces and Residences Against the Backdrop of Public and Occupational Regulatory Limits

Whicker

McNaughton

2009

Health Physics

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Office workers are exposed to radon while at work and at home. Though there has been a multitude of studies reporting the measurements of radon concentrations and potential lung and effective doses associated with radon and progeny exposure in homes, similar studies on the concentrations and subsequent effective dose rates in the non-mine workplaces are lacking. Additionally, there are few, if any, comparative analyses of radon exposures at more "typical" workplace with residential exposures within the same county. The purposes of this study were to measure radon concentrations in office and residential spaces in the same county and explore the radiation dose implications. Sixty five track -etch detectors were deployed in office spaces and 47 were deployed in residences, all within Los Alamos County, New Mexico, USA. The sampling periods for these measurements were generally about three months. The measured concentrations were used to calculate and compare effective dose rates resulting from exposure while at work and at home. Results showed that full-time office workers receive on average about 8 times greater exposure at home than while in the office (2.3 mSv yr-! versus 0.3 mSv yr-!). The estimated effective dose rate for a more homebound person was about 3 mSv yr-!. Estimating effective doses from background radon exposure in the same county as Los Alamos National Laboratory, with thousands of"radiological workers," highlights interesting contrasts in radiation protection standards that span public and occupational settings. For example, the effective dose rate from background radon exposure in unregulated office spaces ranged up to 1.1 mSv yr-!, which is similar to the 1 mSv yr-! threshold for regulation of a "radiological worker," as defined in the Department of Energy regulations for occupational exposure. Additionally, the estimated average effective dose total of> 3 mSv yf! from radon background exposure in homes stands in contrast to the 0.1 mSv yr-! air pathway effective public dose limit regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency for radioactive air emissions.2

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Assessment of Risks From Indoor Radon

Cited by 60 publications

References 7 publications

Measurement of radon and xenon binding to a cryptophane molecular host

Measurement of radon and xenon binding to a cryptophane molecular host

Epidemiology of Lung Cancer

Work to Save Dose: Contrasting Effective Dose Rates From Radon Exposure in Workplaces and Residences Against the Backdrop of Public and Occupational Regulatory Limits

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