Contamination of individuals by radon daughters: a preliminary study

Journal Article · Mon Feb 29 23:00:00 EST 1988 · Arch. Environ. Health; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00039896.1988.9935844· OSTI ID:7125525

Stebbings, J H; Dignam, J J

Body radon daughter contamination reflects relative individual respiratory exposures to radon daughters; counts can be related both to household radon levels and to lung cancer risk factors such as sex and tobacco smoking. Radon daughters were counted by gamma spectroscopy from 180 adult residents of eastern Pennsylvania. A seven-position, 35-min scan was conducted in a mobile body counter, generally during afternoon or evening hours. Track-etch detectors for household radon were distributed, and were recovered from 80% of the subjects. Over 75% of the population had environmentally enhanced radon daughter contamination. House radon levels were strongly related, as anticipated, to radon daughter contamination in the 112 subjects for whom both sets of measurements were available (p less than .001); basement measurements were as strongly related to personal contamination as were living area measurements; bedroom measurements were slightly more strongly correlated. Both sex (p less than .02) and cigarette smoking (p less than .01) significantly modified the relationships, after nonlinear adjustment for travel times. Using a logarithmic model, a given house living-area radon level was associated in females with body contamination by radon daughters 2-3 times that in males. Nonsmokers had 2-4 times higher levels of contamination than smokers. Results are for the total of internal and external contamination, these being highly correlated in preliminary experiments. Time usage and activity patterns of the subjects are believed to be important in explaining these findings, and may become important variables in radon risk assessment.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7125525
• Journal Information: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States), Journal Name: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States) Vol. 43:2; ISSN AEHLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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500300 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560161* -- Radionuclide Effects
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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
BODY
BUILDINGS
COLLOIDS
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
FEDERAL REGION III
FLUIDS
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
GASES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HOUSES
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
ISOTOPES
LUNGS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MONITORING
NEOPLASMS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANS
PENNSYLVANIA
POLLUTION
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIOINDUCTION
RADON
RARE GASES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RISK ASSESSMENT
SEX DEPENDENCE
SMOKES
SOLS
SPECTROSCOPY
TOBACCO SMOKES
USA