Lung cancer mortality (1950-80) in relation to radon daughter exposure in a cohort of workers at the Eldorado Port Radium uranium mine: possible modification of risk by exposure rate

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1987 · J. Natl. Cancer Inst.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5347961

Howe, G R; Nair, R C; Newcombe, H B; Miller, A B; Burch, J D; Abbatt, J D

A cohort study of 2103 workers employed between 1942 and 1960 at a uranium mine in the Northwest Territories, Canada, was conducted. A total of 57 lung cancer deaths was observed (expected = 24.73, P less than .0001). There was a highly significant linear relationship between exposure and increased risk of lung cancer, giving estimates for the relative and attributable risk coefficients of 0.27 per working level month (WLM) and 3.10 per WLM per 10(6) person-years. These risk coefficients were substantially less than those estimated from the experience of miners in the Beaverlodge mine, which have previously been reported. Any biases in the present estimates are likely to have been upward, and therefore they probably represent an upper limit. The major difference between the two mine cohorts is in the exposure rate, since the Port Radium miners were exposed to much greater concentrations of radon daughters than the Beaverlodge miners. It is postulated that risk of lung cancer from radon daughter exposure may be modified by exposure rate, for which hypothesis there is some support from other epidemiologic data.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Toronto, Ontario
• OSTI ID: 5347961
• Journal Information: J. Natl. Cancer Inst.; (United States), Vol. 79:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
RISK ASSESSMENT
LUNGS
NEOPLASMS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIUM
CARCINOGENESIS
RADON
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
MINING
MORTALITY
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PERSONNEL
RADIATION HAZARDS
SASKATCHEWAN
URANIUM MINES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BODY
CANADA
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
ISOTOPES
METALS
MINES
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
RARE GASES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
560161* - Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology- Man