Lung cancer and indoor radon exposure in the north of Portugal – An ecological study

AbstractObjectives: Recent results of epidemiological and medical statistics studies of lung cancer and indoor radon in different regions of the world make a relevant new combined analysis of residential exposure health effects. In particular, new data were obtained by means of a meta-analysis of case-control studies as well as taking into account a confounding effect of human papillomavirus infection in studies of geographically aggregated data.Materials and methods: Two sources of epidemiological data are considered: (1) studies of ecological design and (2) case-control studies. Ecological studies included the analysis performed for the USA counties and Russian oblasts with adjusting for the main confounders. Data on the case-control studies were gained from the meta-analysis of 31 individual studies with a weighting of obtained odds ratios according to the quality of radon exposure reconstruction and size of the reference group. Estimations of lung cancer excess relative risk (ERR) associated with indoor radon exposure are combined.Results: Two types of epidemiological study design provided generally consistent EER estimations. The combined value of ERR due to radon exposure is 0.14 (90% CI: 0.10–0.18) per 100 Bq/m3.Conclusion: Available geographically aggregated data in regions of Russia and the United States and the meta-analysis of case-control studies conducted in a large number of countries confirm the association of lung cancer with indoor radon exposure.

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Construction a process to measurement the indoor radon concentration

Science and Technology Development Journal ◽

10.32508/stdj.v16i3.1619 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 53-60

Author(s):

Hien Thi To ◽

Nguyen Thao Nguyen ◽

Huy Huu Duong

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Exposure Time ◽

Radon Concentration ◽

Indoor Radon ◽

Construction Process ◽

Indoor Radon Concentration ◽

Radon Exposure ◽

Indoor Location ◽

Radon Inhalation ◽

Radon Concentrations

Radon is a naturally radioactive gas , but it causes lung cancer to humans. The risk of lung cancer due to radiation depends on the amount of radon inhalation and radon exposure time. In Vietnam, radon concentrations are usually determined by RAD7, however RAD7 just showed the immediate values of radon, and have to regularly calibrate it. The construction process to determine the accumulates indoor radon concentration by detector CR- 39 in order to be widely used in the study of environmental pollution, especially the study of health risks of radon for humans and mapping radon pollution. Detector CR - 39 is placed in a 7 cm - plastic holder, and in exposure time, the holders were covered with glass fiber filter paper ∅ 47mm on the bottom of the detector to avoid the exposure of dust. Then it is hung in the indoor location as Vietnam Standard 7889:2008. After 3 months, holders are returned to a laboratory, and CR - 39 will be soaked in 6M NaOH at 700C. Indoor radon concentrations will be proportional to the density traces obtained on CR-39. The study uses an radium 226 source of the NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology) with the released radon coefficient : f = 0.891 ± 0.015. Results show the calibration factor K is 4.533 ± 0.218 [(Bq.m-3. day)]/(tracks / CR-39)]. Using K factor, we can determine the cumulative indoor radon concentration.

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