Evidence of lung cancer risk from animal studies
Human epidemiological data provide the most important basis for assessing risks of radon exposures. However, additional insight into the nature of exposure-response relationships is provided by animal experimentation and dosimetric determinations. Animal studies have now been conducted for more than 50 years to examine the levels of pollutants in underground mines that were responsible for the respiratory effects observed among miners. This work has emphasized respiratory cancer and the interaction of radon with other agents, such as ore dust, diesel-engine-exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke. The more recent data on radon-daughter inhalation exposures were provided by two American research centers, The University of Rochester (UR) and the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), and by the Compagnie Generale des Matieres Nucleaires (COGEMA) laboratory in France. Approximately 2000 mice, 100 rats and 80 dogs were employed in the completed UR studies, begun in the mid 1950s; 800 hamsters, 5000 rats and 100 dogs in the ongoing PNL studies, begun in the late 1960s; and 10,000 rats in the ongoing COGEMA studies, also begun in the late 1960s. More complete updated biological effects, data resulting from chronic radon-daughter inhalation exposures of mice, hamsters, rats and beagle dogs were examined. Emphasis on the carcinogenic effects of radon-decay product exposure, including the influences of radon-daughter exposure rate, unattached fraction and disequilibrium, and co-exposures to other pollutants. Plausible values for the radon (radon-daughter) lifetime lung-cancer risk coefficients are also provided. 13 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 7225253
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-15819; CONF-880329-2; ON: DE88009488
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Radon inhalation studies in animals
Study of the combined effects of smoking and inhalation of uranium ore dust, radon daughters and diesel oil exhaust fumes in hamsters and dogs. Final report
Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
560162* -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
ANIMALS
BIOLOGY
BODY
DAUGHTER PRODUCTS
DISEASES
DOGS
DOSE EQUIVALENTS
ELEMENTS
EXTRAPOLATION
FLUIDS
GASES
HAMSTERS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INHALATION
INTAKE
ISOTOPES
LABORATORY ANIMALS
LUNGS
MAMMALS
MICE
NEOPLASMS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
ORGANS
POLLUTION
POPULATIONS
RADIOBIOLOGY
RADIOINDUCTION
RADON
RARE GASES
RATS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RISK ASSESSMENT
RODENTS
SPECIES DIVERSITY
TESTING
VERTEBRATES