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Title: Lung cancer mortality among nonsmoking uranium miners exposed to radon daughters

Abstract

Radon daughters, both in the workplace and in the household, are a continuing cause for concern because of the well-documented association between exposure to radon daughters and lung cancer. To estimate the risk of lung cancer mortality among nonsmokers exposed to varying levels of radon daughters, 516 white men who never smoked cigarettes, pipes, or cigars were selected from the US Public Health Service cohort of Colorado Plateau uranium miners and followed up from 1950 through 1984. Age-specific mortality rates for nonsmokers from a study of US veterans were used for comparison. Fourteen deaths from lung cancer were observed among the nonsmoking miners, while 1.1 deaths were expected, yielding a standardized mortality ratio of 12.7 with 95% confidence limits of 8.0 and 20.1. These results confirm that exposure to radon daughters in the absence of cigarette smoking is a potent carcinogen that should be strictly controlled.

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
5596613
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
JAMA, J. Am. Med. Assoc.; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 262:5
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; LUNGS; NEOPLASMS; RADIOINDUCTION; RADON; CARCINOGENESIS; COLORADO; DAUGHTER PRODUCTS; MORTALITY; OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE; RISK ASSESSMENT; TOBACCO SMOKES; URANIUM MINES; AEROSOLS; BODY; COLLOIDS; DISEASES; DISPERSIONS; ELEMENTS; FEDERAL REGION VIII; FLUIDS; GASES; ISOTOPES; MINES; NONMETALS; NORTH AMERICA; ORGANS; PATHOGENESIS; RARE GASES; RESIDUES; RESPIRATORY SYSTEM; SMOKES; SOLS; UNDERGROUND FACILITIES; USA; 560161* - Radionuclide Effects, Kinetics, & Toxicology- Man

Citation Formats

Roscoe, R J, Steenland, K, Halperin, W E, Beaumont, J J, and Waxweiler, R J. Lung cancer mortality among nonsmoking uranium miners exposed to radon daughters. United States: N. p., 1989. Web. doi:10.1001/jama.262.5.629.
Roscoe, R J, Steenland, K, Halperin, W E, Beaumont, J J, & Waxweiler, R J. Lung cancer mortality among nonsmoking uranium miners exposed to radon daughters. United States. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.262.5.629
Roscoe, R J, Steenland, K, Halperin, W E, Beaumont, J J, and Waxweiler, R J. 1989. "Lung cancer mortality among nonsmoking uranium miners exposed to radon daughters". United States. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.262.5.629.
@article{osti_5596613,
title = {Lung cancer mortality among nonsmoking uranium miners exposed to radon daughters},
author = {Roscoe, R J and Steenland, K and Halperin, W E and Beaumont, J J and Waxweiler, R J},
abstractNote = {Radon daughters, both in the workplace and in the household, are a continuing cause for concern because of the well-documented association between exposure to radon daughters and lung cancer. To estimate the risk of lung cancer mortality among nonsmokers exposed to varying levels of radon daughters, 516 white men who never smoked cigarettes, pipes, or cigars were selected from the US Public Health Service cohort of Colorado Plateau uranium miners and followed up from 1950 through 1984. Age-specific mortality rates for nonsmokers from a study of US veterans were used for comparison. Fourteen deaths from lung cancer were observed among the nonsmoking miners, while 1.1 deaths were expected, yielding a standardized mortality ratio of 12.7 with 95% confidence limits of 8.0 and 20.1. These results confirm that exposure to radon daughters in the absence of cigarette smoking is a potent carcinogen that should be strictly controlled.},
doi = {10.1001/jama.262.5.629},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5596613}, journal = {JAMA, J. Am. Med. Assoc.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 262:5,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Aug 04 00:00:00 EDT 1989},
month = {Fri Aug 04 00:00:00 EDT 1989}
}