Lung cancer mortality (1950-80) in relation to radon daughter exposure in a cohort of workers at the Eldorado Beaverlodge uranium mine

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986 · J. Natl. Cancer Inst.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5160746

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

A cohort study of 8487 workers employed between 1948 and 1980 at a uranium mine in Saskatchewan, Canada, has been conducted. A total of 65 lung cancer deaths was observed (34.24 expected, P less than 10(-5)). There was a highly significant linear relationship between dose and increased risk of lung cancer giving estimates for the relative and attributable risk coefficients of 3.28% per working level month (WLM) and 20.8 per WLM per 10(6) person-years. Age at first exposure had a significant modifying effect on risk. The interaction of exposure with age at observation fits a relative risk model well. The similarity of these results to a recent study of Swedish iron miners with similar levels of relatively low exposure suggests that exposure to radon daughter products may be a major contributory factor to lung cancer occurring among nonsmokers in the general population. The results also reinforce concerns as to the appropriateness of present occupational exposure standards.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Toronto, Ontario
• OSTI ID: 5160746
• Journal Information: J. Natl. Cancer Inst.; (United States), Vol. 2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CARCINOMAS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
RADON
HEALTH HAZARDS
URANIUM MINES
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
LUNGS
MINERS
MORTALITY
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
SASKATCHEWAN
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CANADA
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
HAZARDS
ISOTOPES
MINES
NEOPLASMS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
RARE GASES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
054000* - Nuclear Fuels- Health & Safety
560161 - Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology- Man