Risk assessment of exposure to waterborne and airborne radon-222 in Illinois. Final report

Technical Report · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5319310

Hallenbeck, W H

This study analyzed epidemiological and experimental animal studies in order to develop exposure-response relationships for radon-induced cancer. These relationships were used to estimate lifetime risks and annual excess cases based on the available waterborne and airborne data for Illinois. Exceedances of the USEPA action level of 4pCi/l occurred in 13% of 303 first-floor measurements and 43% of 1094 basement measurements. For waterborne radon, the highest lifetime risk of cancer mortality associated with an Illinois groundwater-based drinking water system was estimated to be 4 x 104. The number of excess cases of fatal cancer generated per year in Illinois was estimated to be about six. For airborne radon, a tentative value of 0.9 pCi/l (for first floors), derived from the limited existing data, was used to estimate the average lifetime lung-cancer mortality risk and the number of excess cases of fatal lung cancer generated per year. The average lifetime lung-cancer mortality risk was estimated to be 0.0048, and the annual number of excess cases of fatal lung cancer was estimated to be 784. Due to the nature of the underlying exposure-response relationships for radon-induced cancer, the values presented most likely represent upper-bound estimates.

• Research Organization: Hallenbeck (William H.), La Grange, IL (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5319310
• Report Number(s): PB-88-160494/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DOCUMENT TYPES
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION V
HEAVY NUCLEI
ILLINOIS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
ISOTOPES
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
POLLUTION
PROGRESS REPORT
RADIOISOTOPES
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
RISK ASSESSMENT
USA
WATER POLLUTION