Cancer in man after exposure to Rn daughters

Results are reported of epidemiological studies in six groups of miners, who work in U mines, Fe mines and shale clay mines. A significant excess of lung cancer was proved in exposure categories below 50 WLM, the first significant excess of lung cancer rate was found in the sixth year following the start of exposure, and a significant difference between the observed and expected rate was found in miners even before the fortieth year of age. The mean attributable annual cancer risk after about 30 y of observation in the whole study was approximately 20.0 and in persons starting exposure after 30 y of age the risk was approximately 30.0 per year per 1 WLM per 10(6) persons. The dose-effect relationship and the attributable lung cancer risk per 1 WLM were significantly influenced by the age at the first exposure by total accumulated exposure and by the character of the accumulation of exposure. The observed effects of smoking and exposure to alpha radiation from Rn daughters were nearly additive. The lung cancer risk per 1 WLM at low levels of exposure (not including the contribution from natural sources in the living environment) in U as well as Fe mines indicated a certain elevation compared with the risk at higher accumulated exposure.     

Dose assessment to inhalation exposure of indoor 222Rn daughters in Korea.

Long-term, average indoor 222Rn concentrations were measured in 12 residential areas by passive CR-39 radon cups. Corresponding equilibrium-equivalent concentration of radon daughters were derived. The resulting effective dose equivalent for the Korean population due to inhalation exposure of this equilibrium-equivalent concentration of radon daughters was then evaluated.     

Randomization of grab-sampling strategies for estimating the annual exposure of U miners to Rn daughters

Periodic grab sampling in combination with time-of-occupancy surveys has been the accepted procedure for estimating the annual exposure of underground U miners to Rn daughters. Temporal variations in the concentration of potential alpha energy in the mine generate uncertainties in this process. A system to randomize the selection of locations for measurement is described which can reduce uncertainties and eliminate systematic biases in the data. In general, a sample frequency of 50 measurements per year is sufficient to satisfy the criteria that the annual exposure be determined in working level months to within +/- 50% of the true value with a 95% level of confidence. Suggestions for implementing this randomization scheme are presented.     

Swedish limitation schemes to decrease Rn daughters in indoor air

The limitation schemes to decrease Rn daughter concentrations in Swedish homes are described. The application of the Swedish provisional limitation scheme in use since 1980 is also reported and compared with international and national recommendations in other countries.     

Surface to nuclear distances in human bronchial epithelium: relationships to penetration by Rn daughters.

Lung cancer in U miners is thought to be related to the inhalation of particulate Rn daughters. Since the depth of penetration by alpha particles is short, the thickness of the epithelium lining the bronchial tree may be a critical factor in the development of cancers at specific sites in the lung. The objectives of the study were to measure the thickness of the epithelium at all levels of the human bronchial tree, to determine the distances of epithelial nuclei from the mucociliary surface, and to compare these parameters in smokers and nonsmokers. Twenty-nine surgically removed specimens were examined; 26 were from smokers. No significant differences were found between smokers and nonsmokers, allowing us to treat the 29 cases as a homogeneous group. With progressive divisions of the bronchi, the epithelium decreases in thickness, and distances of nuclei from the surface are also less in the peripheral bronchi. Allowing for artefacts of tissue preparation, the mean distance from the mucociliary surface to the underlying nuclei varies between 17 and 38 microns.     

Measurement of 210Po atoms content in glass as an indicator of long-term exposure to radon

Measurements of exposure to radon are performed using numerous research methods which register either temporary or periodic radon concentrations. The method presented below allows for the estimation of average radon concentration in the past. This is possible due to indirect measurement of the contents of 210Pb embedded in glass structure. The half-life of 210Pb is about 22 years. A number of exposures of window glass to radon have been carried out in laboratory conditions (radon chamber) and the obtained results were used to calculate the coefficient that renders it possible to define global indoor exposure to radon. The registration was made using a track detector CR-39, which records alpha particles resulting from the disintegration of 210Po, one of 222Rn decay products.     

Verification of the generalized Kusnetz method for measuring potential alpha energy from Rn daughters

The equations describing serial radioactive build-up and decay contain symmetries which provide flexibility for measuring potential alpha energy. Mathematical analysis indicates that sample and count times may be interchanged or combined to enhance measurement protocols. Experiments have verified that these mathematical properties can be used for routine measurements of working level from Rn daughters.     

210Po and 210Pb inhalation by cigarette smoking in Italy

210Po and its precursor 210Pb in cigarette smoke contribute a significant radiation dose to the lungs of smokers. In this work, the concentration of 210Po was determined in 17 of the most frequently smoked cigarette brands in Italy. Samples of tobacco, fresh filters, ash, and post-smoking filters were analyzed; 210Po was determined by alpha spectrometry after its spontaneous deposition on a silver disk. To verify the radioactive equilibrium between 210Po and 210Pb, lead was determined in one tobacco sample by counting the beta activity of its decay product 210Bi with a gas flow proportional detector after separation. The results of the present study show 210Po concentrations ranged from 6.84 to 17.49 mBq per cigarette. Based on these results, smokers who smoke 20 cigarettes per day inhale, on average, 79.53 +/- 28.65 mBq d(-1) of 210Po and 210Pb each. The mean value of the annual committed effective dose for Italian smokers, calculated by applying the dose conversion factor for adults of 4.3 microSv Bq(-1) for 210Po and 5.6 microSv Bq(-1) for 210Pb, was estimated to be 124.8 and 162.6 microSv y(-1) for 210Po and 210Pb, respectively. The lung dose from inhalation of cigarette smoke is much higher than the lung dose from inhalation of atmospheric 210Po and 210Pb.