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Biomedical and Environmental Sciences :... Nov 2018To evaluate the possible association between radon exposure and kidney cancer. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the possible association between radon exposure and kidney cancer.
METHODS
We performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis based on random effect models to provide a pooled association measure.
RESULTS
We subjected 8 studies (overall relative risks and 95% confidence intervals: 1.01, 0.72 to 1.43, I2 = 64.4%) to meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis revealed a marginally significant association between radon exposure and kidney cancer in studies conducted in Europe. Two population-based studies provided no evidence for the increased risk of kidney cancer in the general population.
CONCLUSION
The association between radon and kidney cancer remains unclear but cannot be excluded because of its biological plausibility and the limited number and quality of existing studies. Additional data from the general population and well-designed miner cohort studies are needed to reveal the real relationship between radon exposure and kidney cancer.
Topics: Cohort Studies; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Kidney Neoplasms; Radon
PubMed: 30558701
DOI: 10.3967/bes2018.108 -
Optics Express Aug 2022We demonstrate a short-wave infrared computed tomography method. It uses a fiber-coupled 1.44µm super-luminescent diode as light source, a PbSe photodiode as infrared...
We demonstrate a short-wave infrared computed tomography method. It uses a fiber-coupled 1.44µm super-luminescent diode as light source, a PbSe photodiode as infrared detector, and an electronically controlled rotation and translation stage for high-speed Radon scanning. It is a safe and low power nondestructive testing method that can be used for the detection of plastic polymers, biological tissue and other materials that visible light cannot penetrate. We analyze the theoretical resolution of the method and build a short-wave infrared computed tomography system, which realizes the tomography and 3D reconstruction of black plastic bottles and artificial blood vessels. The measured resolution reaches10µm.
Topics: Blood Substitutes; Plastics; Radon; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 36242274
DOI: 10.1364/OE.467437 -
Western Journal of Nursing Research Jul 2022Home radon testing is a primary lung cancer prevention strategy, yet the majority of Americans have not tested their home. This descriptive, ecological study uses 54,683...
Home radon testing is a primary lung cancer prevention strategy, yet the majority of Americans have not tested their home. This descriptive, ecological study uses 54,683 observed radon values collected in Kentucky homes from 1996 to 2016 to examine the association of county-level social determinants of health and environmental exposures on home radon testing rates. Multivariate linear regression analysis indicates that as median home value, rurality, and radon risk potential increased, counties experienced an increase in annual home radon testing rates. As adult smoking prevalence increased, counties experienced a decrease in annual rates of residential radon testing. These findings indicate that counties with low median home values, high adult smoking prevalence, and high incidence of lung cancer may benefit most from prevention interventions aimed at promoting home radon testing, adopting radon- and smoke-free home policies, and integrating radon risk reduction messaging into tobacco cessation and lung cancer screening programs.
Topics: Adult; Early Detection of Cancer; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Radon; Social Determinants of Health
PubMed: 33882759
DOI: 10.1177/01939459211009561 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2022Doses from the exposure to outdoor radon are typically an order of magnitude smaller than those from indoor radon, causing a greater interest on investigation of the... (Review)
Review
Doses from the exposure to outdoor radon are typically an order of magnitude smaller than those from indoor radon, causing a greater interest on investigation of the latter for radiation protection issues. As a consequence, assessment of radon priority areas (RPA) is mainly based on indoor radon measurements. Outdoor radon measurements might be needed to guarantee a complete estimation of radiological risk and may help to improve the estimation of RPA. Therefore, authors have analysed the available literature on outdoor radon to give an overview of outdoor radon surveys and potential correlation with indoor radon and estimation of RPA. The review has shown that outdoor radon surveys were performed at much smaller scale compared to indoor radon. Only a few outdoor radon maps were produced, with a much smaller density, covering a larger area, and therefore putting doubt on the representativeness of this data. Due to a large variety of techniques used for outdoor radon measurements and requirement to have detectors with a high sensitivity and resistance to harsh environmental conditions, a standardised measurement protocol should be derived. This is no simple endeavour since there are more applications in different scientific disciplines for outdoor radon measurements compared to indoor radon.
Topics: Air Pollutants, Radioactive; Air Pollution, Indoor; Housing; Radiation Monitoring; Radon
PubMed: 35055485
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19020662 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2021Radon, a known carcinogen, becomes a health risk when it accumulates inside buildings. Exposure is of particular concern for children, as their longer life expectancy... (Review)
Review
Radon, a known carcinogen, becomes a health risk when it accumulates inside buildings. Exposure is of particular concern for children, as their longer life expectancy increases their lifetime risk of developing cancer. In 2016, 5.5 million students were enrolled in Canadian elementary and secondary schools. With no national policy on radon testing in schools, children may be at risk from radon exposure while attending school and school-based programs. This study explored radon testing efforts in publicly funded Canadian schools and summarizes where testing programs have occurred. Radon testing in schools was identified through a systematic qualitative enquiry, surveying members from different levels of government (health and education) and other stakeholders (school boards, research experts, among others). Overall, this research found that approaches to radon testing varied considerably by province and region. Responsibility for radon testing in schools was often deferred between government, school boards, building managers and construction parties. Transparency around radon testing, including which schools had been tested and whether radon levels had been mitigated, also emerged as an issue. Radon testing of schools across Canada, including mitigation and clear communication strategies, needs to improve to ensure a healthy indoor environment for staff and students.
Topics: Air Pollutants, Radioactive; Air Pollution, Indoor; Canada; Child; Humans; Radon; Schools
PubMed: 34065347
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18105469 -
International Journal of Environmental... Mar 2022Indoor radon exposure is raising concerns due to its impact on health, namely its known relationship with lung cancer. Consequently, there is an urgent need to... (Review)
Review
Indoor radon exposure is raising concerns due to its impact on health, namely its known relationship with lung cancer. Consequently, there is an urgent need to understand the risk factors associated with radon exposure, and how this can be harmful to the health of exposed populations. This article presents a comprehensive review of studies indicating a correlation between indoor radon exposure and the higher probability of occurrence of health problems in exposed populations. The analyzed studies statistically justify this correlation between exposure to indoor radon and the incidence of lung diseases in regions where concentrations are particularly high. However, some studies also showed that even in situations where indoor radon concentrations are lower, can be found a tendency, albeit smaller, for the occurrence of negative impacts on lung cancer incidence. Lastly, regarding risk remediation, an analysis has been conducted and presented in two core perspectives: (i) focusing on the identification and application of corrective measures in pre-existing buildings, and (ii) focusing on the implementation of preventive measures during the project design and before construction, both focusing on mitigating negative impacts of indoor radon exposure on the health of populations.
Topics: Air Pollutants, Radioactive; Air Pollution, Indoor; Housing; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Radon; Risk Factors
PubMed: 35409610
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19073929 -
Clinical & Translational Oncology :... Dec 2023We aim to provide an overview of the research available on indoor radon and lung cancer, with a special focus on Spanish investigations. Early studies on underground... (Review)
Review
We aim to provide an overview of the research available on indoor radon and lung cancer, with a special focus on Spanish investigations. Early studies on underground miners established the link between radon and lung cancer, which was later confirmed for the general population by residential case-control studies. Spain contributed with extensive evidence, including 5 multicentric, hospital-based, case-control studies in the last 30 years, exploring diverse aspects, such as radon's effect on never-smokers, molecular pathways linking radon exposure to lung cancer risk, survival rates, mortality burden, and occupational exposure. There is a well-established causal association between radon with lung cancer. Despite pioneering research performed in our country by the Galician Radon Laboratory, particularly on driver genes, the evidence on the potential molecular pathways which makes radon a carcinogen is sparse. Also, relevant questions on the potential association of radon exposure with the induction of other diseases are still pending.
Topics: Humans; Radon; Lung Neoplasms; Air Pollution, Indoor; Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced; Risk
PubMed: 37610496
DOI: 10.1007/s12094-023-03308-0 -
Otolaryngologia Polska = the Polish... Aug 2017Background Radon-222-enriched hot spring therapy, which is characterized by a safe level of radioactivity, is used for the treatment of rheumatic disorders, and its... (Review)
Review
Background Radon-222-enriched hot spring therapy, which is characterized by a safe level of radioactivity, is used for the treatment of rheumatic disorders, and its efficacy has already been studied in several clinical trials. Radon-water inhalation therapy for the treatment of upper and lower airway inflammatory diseases is used in many hot springs centers. However, its application has not been reviewed to date. Methods We systematically searched the PubMed and Scopus databases for clinical trials published in the last 20 years in which objective parameters of upper and lower airway function had been tested before and after radon-enriched inhalation treatment. Results Four prospective studies were found: 1 asthma trial, 1 placebo-controlled chronic rhinosinusitis trial, 1 upper respiratory tract inflammation with nasal obstruction trial, and 1 case-control allergic rhinitis trial. Patients were treated with nasal inhalations of radon-enriched water for 12 to 28 days and were assessed at baseline and after therapy. After 2 weeks of treatment, nasal resistance decreased, flow increased, mucociliary clearance was enhanced, ciliated-to-muciparous cell ratio increased, and %FEV1 increased in asthmatic patients. Conclusion Radon-enriched inhalation therapy improves objective indicators of nasal function in allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis, and causes relief of pulmonary obstruction in asthma.
Topics: Chronic Disease; Hot Temperature; Humans; Prospective Studies; Radon; Respiratory Therapy; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Rhinitis; Sinusitis; Water
PubMed: 29116046
DOI: 10.5604/01.3001.0010.2242 -
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity Oct 2022The appearances of significant efflux of carbon dioxide through soil surfaces is a frequent natural phenomena in the wider vicinity of relatively young volcanic fields....
The appearances of significant efflux of carbon dioxide through soil surfaces is a frequent natural phenomena in the wider vicinity of relatively young volcanic fields. These mofettes are often utilised as dry carbon dioxide spas to treat patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. The carbon dioxide always carries some naturally occurring radioactive radon gas with it. On the one hand this radon gas might pose some radiation risk for the patients and staff of such carbon dioxide spas, on the other hand it may be used as a natural tracer for the study of transport of its carrier gas in the subsurface and in the pools. In this work we have measured the spatial variation of radon activity concentration in the gas phase of the carbon dioxide gas pool of the Cardiology Hospital and in the gas and water phases of the Hell-Mud, which is a wet open pit mofette in the city of Covasna. We have developed a hydro- and gas-geological conceptual and mathematical model with which we were able to describe the measured spatial and temporal behaviour of radon gas concentration. We have found that the relatively low radon concentrations at the bottom of these pools can be explained by removing the radon content of water by intense bubbling degassing of the oversaturated carbonated waters.
Topics: Carbon Dioxide; Gases; Humans; Radiation Monitoring; Radon; Romania; Water
PubMed: 35841877
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106962 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2020The present paper outlines characteristics of thoron and its progeny in the indoor environment. Since the half-life of thoron (Rn) is very short (55.6 s), its behavior... (Review)
Review
The present paper outlines characteristics of thoron and its progeny in the indoor environment. Since the half-life of thoron (Rn) is very short (55.6 s), its behavior is quite different from the isotope radon (Rn, half-life 3.8 days) in the environment. Analyses of radon and lung cancer risk have revealed a clearly positive relationship in epidemiological studies among miners and residents. However, there is no epidemiological evidence for thoron exposure causing lung cancer risk. In contrast to this, a dosimetric approach has been approved in the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 137, from which new dose conversion factors for radon and thoron progenies can be obtained. They are given as 16.8 and 107 nSv (Bq m h), respectively. It implies that even a small quantity of thoron progeny will induce higher radiation exposure compared to radon. Thus, an interest in thoron exposure is increasing among the relevant scientific communities. As measurement technologies for thoron and its progeny have been developed, they are now readily available. This paper reviews measurement technologies, activity levels, dosimetry and resulting doses. Although thoron has been underestimated in the past, recent findings have revealed that reassessment of risks due to radon exposure may need to take the presence of thoron and its progeny into account.
Topics: Air Pollutants, Radioactive; Air Pollution, Indoor; Housing; Humans; Radiation Exposure; Radiation Monitoring; Radon; Radon Daughters
PubMed: 33255858
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17238769