skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Domestic and personal determinants of the contamination of individuals by household radon daughters

Abstract

Radon daughters were counted by gamma spectroscopy from 180 adult residents of eastern Pennsylvania during the winter of 1983-84. Body radon daughter contamination is an index of relative individual respiratory exposures to radon daughters. These can be related to household radon levels, and to personal risk factors such as sex and tobacco smoking. Over 75% of this Pennsylvania population appeared to have environmentally enhanced radon daughter contamination; 59% had counting rates greater than 2 s.d. above background. House radon levels were the major determinants of radon daughters contamination in the 112 subjects for which both sets of measurements were available (p<.001). Both sex (<.02) and cigarette smoking (p<.005) were found to significantly modify that relationship, after nonlinear adjustment for travel times. Using a logarithmic model, for a given radon level body contamination by radon daughters in females was 2-3.5x higher than in males. Nonsmokers had 2-4x higher levels of contamination than smokers. For female nonsmokers relative to male smokers (which in general corresponds to the population of major concern relative to the population from which risk estimates have been derived), the excesses multiply. These results are for total contamination, both internal and external.

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA). Biological and Medical Research Div.
OSTI Identifier:
5458297
Report Number(s):
CONF-860626-2
ON: DE86014561
DOE Contract Number:  
W-31-109-ENG-38
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 20. annual conference on trace substances in environmental health, Columbia, MO, USA, 2 Jun 1986
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; DAUGHTER PRODUCTS; BODY BURDEN; HUMAN POPULATIONS; CONTAMINATION; PENNSYLVANIA; INDOOR AIR POLLUTION; CHRONIC EXPOSURE; EXTERNAL IRRADIATION; HOUSES; INHALATION; INTERNAL IRRADIATION; RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; RADON; SEX DEPENDENCE; TOBACCO SMOKES; WHOLE-BODY COUNTING; AEROSOLS; AIR POLLUTION; BUILDINGS; COLLOIDS; COUNTING TECHNIQUES; DISPERSIONS; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; ELEMENTS; FEDERAL REGION III; FLUIDS; GASES; INTAKE; IRRADIATION; ISOTOPES; NONMETALS; NORTH AMERICA; POLLUTION; POPULATIONS; RARE GASES; RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS; RESIDUES; SMOKES; SOLS; USA; 560161* - Radionuclide Effects, Kinetics, & Toxicology- Man; 560151 - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man; 500300 - Environment, Atmospheric- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Stebbings, J H, Kardatzke, D R, Toohey, R E, Essling, M E, and Pagnamenta, A. Domestic and personal determinants of the contamination of individuals by household radon daughters. United States: N. p., 1986. Web.
Stebbings, J H, Kardatzke, D R, Toohey, R E, Essling, M E, & Pagnamenta, A. Domestic and personal determinants of the contamination of individuals by household radon daughters. United States.
Stebbings, J H, Kardatzke, D R, Toohey, R E, Essling, M E, and Pagnamenta, A. 1986. "Domestic and personal determinants of the contamination of individuals by household radon daughters". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5458297.
@article{osti_5458297,
title = {Domestic and personal determinants of the contamination of individuals by household radon daughters},
author = {Stebbings, J H and Kardatzke, D R and Toohey, R E and Essling, M E and Pagnamenta, A},
abstractNote = {Radon daughters were counted by gamma spectroscopy from 180 adult residents of eastern Pennsylvania during the winter of 1983-84. Body radon daughter contamination is an index of relative individual respiratory exposures to radon daughters. These can be related to household radon levels, and to personal risk factors such as sex and tobacco smoking. Over 75% of this Pennsylvania population appeared to have environmentally enhanced radon daughter contamination; 59% had counting rates greater than 2 s.d. above background. House radon levels were the major determinants of radon daughters contamination in the 112 subjects for which both sets of measurements were available (p<.001). Both sex (<.02) and cigarette smoking (p<.005) were found to significantly modify that relationship, after nonlinear adjustment for travel times. Using a logarithmic model, for a given radon level body contamination by radon daughters in females was 2-3.5x higher than in males. Nonsmokers had 2-4x higher levels of contamination than smokers. For female nonsmokers relative to male smokers (which in general corresponds to the population of major concern relative to the population from which risk estimates have been derived), the excesses multiply. These results are for total contamination, both internal and external.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5458297}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986}
}

Conference:
Other availability
Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that hold this conference proceeding.

Save / Share: