Indoor radon and lung cancer in the radium dial workers

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:481512

Neuberger, J S ^[1]; Rundo, J ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Kansas Medical School, Lawrence, KS (United States)
2. Argonne National Lab., 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, the radium dial workers were also exposed to radiation hazards other than that occurring from ingestion of the radium paint, viz., external gamma radiation and elevated concentrations of airborne radon. The 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 fin 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 this is possible.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 481512
• Report Number(s): ANL/ESH/CP--90664; CONF-961103--31; ON: DE97004673
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
CARCINOGENESIS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
INDOOR AIR CONTAMINATION
LUNGS
NEOPLASMS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PERSONNEL
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADON