NRC committee provides new risk estimates for exposure to radon

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1988 · J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7161225

A new set of age-specific estimates describing the increased risk of lung cancer following exposure to radon was released in January by a National Research Council committee. The revised estimates result from new statistical techniques used to analyze previously collected data. In a study jointly sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the committee concluded that lifetime exposure to one working level month (WLM) of radon per year, a standard measure used by radiation experts, increases an individual's chances of dying from lung cancer by 1.5 times compared with someone exposed only to background levels of radon. The committee estimated that, for every 1 million people exposed over a lifetime to one WLM of radon, about 350 additional deaths would occur due to lung cancer. The committee found that lung cancer risks associated with radon increased with increasing length of exposure. Moreover, it said that 15 years after exposure to radon has ended, the risk of lung cancer from the exposure declines to half the original risk.

• OSTI ID: 7161225
• Journal Information: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Vol. 38:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
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NEOPLASMS
RADON
RISK ASSESSMENT
US EPA
US NRC
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ELEMENTS
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