High-LET alpha-emitters: Radon, lung cancer and smoking

Conference · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6514912

Fabrikant, J I

The National Academy of Sciences BEIR IV Report deals with the health effects in human populations exposed to internally-deposited alpha-emitting radionuclides and their decay products. Quantitative risk estimates for cancer induction are derived, mainly from analyses of epidemiological data. The Report addresses the health outcomes of exposure to radon and its daughters, primarily lung cancer risks of worker exposure to radon progeny in underground mines and in the general public in indoor domestic environments. An excess relative risk model of lung cancer mortality and exposure to radon progeny is developed; this models the excess risk per Working Level Month in terms of time intervals prior to an attained age, and is dependent on time-since-exposure and age at risk. Risk projections are presented and cover exposure situations of current public health concern. For example, lifetime exposure to 1 WLM y/sup /minus/1/ is estimated to increase the number of deaths due to lung cancer by a factor of about 1.5 over the current rate for both males and females in a population having the current prevalence of cigarette-smoking. Occupational exposure to 4 WLM y/sup /minus/1/ from ages 20 y to 40 y is projected to increase lung cancer deaths by a factor of 1.6 over the current rate of this age cohort in the general population. In all of these cases, most of the increased risk occurs to smokers for whom the risk is up to ten times greater than for non-smokers. 8 refs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6514912
• Report Number(s): LBL-26343; CONF-8810306-1; ON: DE89006661
• Resource Relation: Conference: Workshop on recent advances in biological sciences, low dose and low dose rate ionizing radiation, San Diego, CA, USA, 18 Oct 1988; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
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NEOPLASMS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADON 222
HEALTH HAZARDS
ALPHA SOURCES
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
LET
LUNGS
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
RISK ASSESSMENT
TIME DEPENDENCE
TOBACCO SMOKES
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ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
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DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HAZARDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ION SOURCES
ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ORGANS
PARTICLE SOURCES
POLLUTION
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADON ISOTOPES
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SMOKES
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