Indoor radon and lung cancer in radium-dial workers

Journal Article · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:426564

Neuberger, J S ^[1]; Rundo, J ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Kansas Medical School, Kansas City, KS (United States)
2. John Rundo, Downers Grove, IL (United States)

Internally deposited radium has long been known to have tumorigenic effects in the form of sarcomas of the bone and carcinomas of the paranasal sinuses and mastoid air cells. However, radium-dial workers were also exposed to radiation hazards other than that occurring from ingestion of the radium paint, namely, external gamma radiation and elevated concentrations of airborne radon. Uranium miners were also exposed to high concentrations of radon in the 1950s and later and numerous cases of lung cancer have occurred in that population. However, unlike the atmosphere in the uranium mines, the air in the dial painting plants was probably rather clean and perhaps not much different from the air in many houses. In view of the current concern over the possibility of lung cancer in the general population being caused by radon (progeny) in houses, it is important to examine the mortality due to this usually fatal disease in the dial workers and to attempt to relate it to their exposure to radon, to the extent that is possible.

• OSTI ID: 426564
• Report Number(s): CONF-961103--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 75; ISSN 0003-018X; ISSN TANSAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CARCINOMAS
DIAL PAINTERS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
HEALTH HAZARDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
RADIUM
RADON