1
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Little MP, Bazyka D, de Gonzalez AB, Brenner AV, Chumak VV, Cullings HM, Daniels RD, French B, Grant E, Hamada N, Hauptmann M, Kendall GM, Laurier D, Lee C, Lee WJ, Linet MS, Mabuchi K, Morton LM, Muirhead CR, Preston DL, Rajaraman P, Richardson DB, Sakata R, Samet JM, Simon SL, Sugiyama H, Wakeford R, Zablotska LB. A Historical Survey of Key Epidemiological Studies of Ionizing Radiation Exposure. Radiat Res 2024; 202:432-487. [PMID: 39021204 PMCID: PMC11316622 DOI: 10.1667/rade-24-00021.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
In this article we review the history of key epidemiological studies of populations exposed to ionizing radiation. We highlight historical and recent findings regarding radiation-associated risks for incidence and mortality of cancer and non-cancer outcomes with emphasis on study design and methods of exposure assessment and dose estimation along with brief consideration of sources of bias for a few of the more important studies. We examine the findings from the epidemiological studies of the Japanese atomic bomb survivors, persons exposed to radiation for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, those exposed to environmental sources including Chornobyl and other reactor accidents, and occupationally exposed cohorts. We also summarize results of pooled studies. These summaries are necessarily brief, but we provide references to more detailed information. We discuss possible future directions of study, to include assessment of susceptible populations, and possible new populations, data sources, study designs and methods of analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P. Little
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Dimitry Bazyka
- National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, 53 Melnikov Street, Kyiv 04050, Ukraine
| | | | - Alina V. Brenner
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - Vadim V. Chumak
- National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, 53 Melnikov Street, Kyiv 04050, Ukraine
| | - Harry M. Cullings
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - Robert D. Daniels
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Benjamin French
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Eric Grant
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Hamada
- Biology and Environmental Chemistry Division, Sustainable System Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), 1646 Abiko, Chiba 270-1194, Japan
| | - Michael Hauptmann
- Institute of Biostatistics and Registry Research, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, 16816 Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Gerald M. Kendall
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Dominique Laurier
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, Fontenay aux Roses France
| | - Choonsik Lee
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - Won Jin Lee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Martha S. Linet
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - Kiyohiko Mabuchi
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - Lindsay M. Morton
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | | | | | - Preetha Rajaraman
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - David B. Richardson
- Environmental and Occupational Health, 653 East Peltason, University California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3957 USA
| | - Ritsu Sakata
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - Jonathan M. Samet
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Steven L. Simon
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-9778, USA
| | - Hiromi Sugiyama
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, 5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 732-0815, Japan
| | - Richard Wakeford
- Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Manchester, Ellen Wilkinson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Lydia B. Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16 Street, 2 floor, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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2
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Beck TR. Note on dose conversion for radon exposure. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2024; 63:351-356. [PMID: 38884804 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-024-01077-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The epidemiological approach to converting radon exposure to effective dose is examined. Based on the definition of the effective dose, the dose conversion is obtained from the equivalence of lung-specific detriment associated with low-LET radiation and with radon exposure. This approach most reliably estimates effective dose per radon exposure on the basis of epidemiological data and implicitly includes the radiation weighting factor required to calculate the effective dose from radon exposure using the dosimetric approach, applying biokinetic and dosimetric models. Consistency between the results of the epidemiological and dosimetric approaches is achieved by using a radiation weighting factor of about 10 for alpha particles instead of the current ICRP value of 20. In contrast, the epidemiological approach implemented in ICRP 65, and referred to as dose conversion convention, was based on direct comparison of total radiation detriment with lung detriment from radon exposure. With the revision of radiation detriments in ICRP 103, this approach can be judged to overestimate the effective dose per radon exposure by about a factor of two because the tissue weighting factor for lung differs from the value of relative detriment to which it relates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Beck
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Berlin, Germany.
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3
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Djeufack LB, Hamadou I, Kranrod C, Mishra R, Hosoda M, Sapra BK, Saïdou, Tokonami S. Effective dose assessment due to inhalation of 222Rn, 220Rn, and their progeny: highlighting the major contribution of thoron in a thoron-prone area in Cameroon. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2024; 63:357-369. [PMID: 39033202 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-024-01082-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
To assess public exposure to radon, thoron, and their progeny, measurements were conducted in 50 dwellings within the bauxite-rich area of Fongo-Tongo in western Cameroon. Passive integrating radon-thoron discriminative detectors (specifically RADUET) were employed for radon and thoron measurements. Additionally, concentrations of short-lived radon and thoron progeny were estimated using Direct Radon Progeny Sensors (DRPSs) and Direct Thoron Progeny Sensors (DTPSs) based on LR-115 detectors. The findings revealed indoor radon concentrations ranging from 31 to 123 Bq m-3 with a geometric mean (GM) of 62 Bq m-3, and indoor thoron concentrations ranging from 36 to 688 Bq m-3 with a GM of 242 Bq m-3. The Equilibrium Equivalent Radon Concentration (EERC) ranged from 3 to 86 Bq m-3 with a GM of 25 Bq m-3, while the Equilibrium Equivalent Thoron Concentration (EETC) ranged from 1.2 to 12.5 Bq m-3 with a GM of 7.6 Bq m-3. Notably, all dwellings recorded radon concentrations below 100 Bq m-3. Arithmetic means of radon and thoron equilibrium factors were calculated as 0.47 and 0.04, respectively. To assess annual effective doses from radon and thoron inhalation, equilibrium factors were used along with direct measurements of EERC and EETC. The differences observed in annual effective doses were 4.5% for radon and 42.5% for thoron. Furthermore, the contribution of thoron and its decay products to the annual effective dose from radon, thoron, and their progeny ranged from 12 to 94%, with an average contribution of 58%. Thus, this study found that the effective dose due to thoron inhalation in the study area exceeded that due to radon inhalation. It is concluded that, when evaluating radiation doses and health risks, it is crucial to consider both thoron and its progeny alongside radon and its progeny. This underscores the importance of considering direct measurements for accurately estimating radiation doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léonard Boris Djeufack
- Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Research Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology, Institute of Geological and Mining Research, P.O. Box 4110, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Issa Hamadou
- National Advanced School of Mines and Petroleum Industries, University of Maroua, P.O. Box 08, Kaélé, Cameroon
| | - Chutima Kranrod
- Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki City, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan
| | - Rosaline Mishra
- Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, 400 085, India
| | - Masahiro Hosoda
- Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki City, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan
- Department of Radiation Science, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki City, Aomori, Japan
| | - Balvinder K Sapra
- Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, 400 085, India
| | - Saïdou
- Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
- Research Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology, Institute of Geological and Mining Research, P.O. Box 4110, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
| | - Shinji Tokonami
- Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki City, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan
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Autsavapromporn N, Kranrod C, Kritsananuwat R, Sola P, Klunklin P, Chitapanarux I, Jaikang C, Monum T, Hosoda M, Tokonami S. Health Impacts of Natural Background Radiation in High Air Pollution Area of Thailand. TOXICS 2024; 12:428. [PMID: 38922108 PMCID: PMC11209604 DOI: 10.3390/toxics12060428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Chiang Mai province of Thailand is known for having the highest natural background radiation in the country, as well as being recognized as one of the world's most polluted cities for air quality. This represents the major contributor to the development of lung cancer. This research aims to estimate the comprehensive dose of both internal and external exposure due to natural background radiation and related health perspectives in the highly polluted area of Chiang Mai. The average values of indoor radon and thoron concentrations in 99 houses over 6 months were 40.8 ± 22.6 and 17.8 ± 16.3 Bq/m3, respectively. These results exceed the worldwide value for indoor radon and thoron (40 and 10 Bq/m3), respectively. During burning season, the average values of indoor radon (56.7 ± 20 Bq/m3) and thoron (20.8 ± 20.4 Bq/m3) concentrations were higher than the world-wide averages. The radon concentration in drinking water (56 samples) varied from 0.1 to 91.9 Bq/L, with an average value of 9.1 ± 22.8 Bq/L. Most of the drinking water samples (87%) fell below the recommended maximum contamination limit of 11.1 Bq/L. The average values of natural radionuclide (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) in 48 soil samples were 47 ± 20.9, 77.9 ± 29.7 and 700.1 ± 233 Bq/kg, respectively. All values were higher than the worldwide average of 35, 30 and 400 Bq/kg, respectively. The average value of outdoor absorbed gamma dose rate (98 ± 32.5 nGy/h) exceeded the worldwide average of 59 nGy/h. Meanwhile, the average activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in 25 plant food samples were 2.7 ± 0.1, 3.2 ± 1.6 and 1000.7 ± 1.9 Bq/kg, respectively. The 40K concentration was the most predominant in plant foods. The highest concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were found in Chinese cabbage, celery and cilantro, respectively. The total annual effective dose for residents in the study area varied from 0.6 to 4.3 mSv, with an average value of 1.4 mSv. This indicates a significant long-term public health hazard due to natural background radiation and suggests a heightened radiation risk for the residents. The excess lifetime cancer risk value (5.4) associated with natural background radiation was found to be higher than the recommended value. Moreover, the number of lung cancer cases per year per million average of 25.2 per million persons per year was in the limit range 170-230 per million people. Overall, our results will be used for future decision making in the prevention of lung cancer risk associated with natural background radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narongchai Autsavapromporn
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.K.); (I.C.)
| | - Chutima Kranrod
- Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8564, Japan; (C.K.); (M.H.); (S.T.)
| | - Rawiwan Kritsananuwat
- Natural Radiation Survey and Analysis Research Unit, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
| | - Phachirarat Sola
- Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology, Nakhon Nayok 26120, Thailand;
| | - Pitchayaponne Klunklin
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.K.); (I.C.)
| | - Imjai Chitapanarux
- Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.K.); (I.C.)
| | - Churdsak Jaikang
- Toxicology Section, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (C.J.); (T.M.)
| | - Tawachai Monum
- Toxicology Section, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (C.J.); (T.M.)
| | - Masahiro Hosoda
- Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8564, Japan; (C.K.); (M.H.); (S.T.)
- Graduate School of Health Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8564, Japan
| | - Shinji Tokonami
- Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8564, Japan; (C.K.); (M.H.); (S.T.)
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5
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Liu Y, Xu Y, Xu W, He Z, Fu C, Du F. Radon and lung cancer: Current status and future prospects. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 198:104363. [PMID: 38657702 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Beyond tobacco smoking, radon takes its place as the second most significant contributor to lung cancer, excluding hereditary and other biologically related factors. Radon and its byproducts play a pivotal role in exposing humans to elevated levels of natural radiation. Approximately 10-20 % of lung cancer cases worldwide can be attributed to radon exposure, leading to between 3 % and 20 % of all lung cancer-related deaths. Nevertheless, a knowledge gap persists regarding the association between radon and lung cancer, impeding radon risk reduction initiatives globally. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the current state of research in epidemiology, cell biology, dosimetry, and risk modeling concerning radon exposure and its relevance to lung cancer. It also delves into methods for measuring radon concentrations, monitoring radon risk zones, and identifying priorities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Yanqing Xu
- School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China.
| | - Wei Xu
- Health Management Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China
| | - Zhengzhong He
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Cong Fu
- School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Fen Du
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Wuhan University TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
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6
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Park RM. Risk assessment for conventional diesel exhaust (before 1990) and lung cancer in a cohort of miners. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2024; 44:1413-1429. [PMID: 37876044 DOI: 10.1111/risa.14231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Diesel exhaust in the latter half of the 20th century has been found to be a lung carcinogen. Conventional diesel emissions continue in the transportation, mining, construction, and farming industries. From the Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study, a public-use dataset was used to calculate the excess lifetime risk of lung cancer associated with diesel exposure (1947-1997). Excess rates of lung cancer mortality associated with respirable elemental carbon (REC) and possible other mining exposures (e.g., oil mists, explosives emissions) were investigated using Poisson regression methods. Lung cancer mortality declined with increasing employment duration while increasing with cumulative REC and non-diesel exposures, suggesting a strong worker survivor effect. Attenuation of the REC effect was observed with increasing cumulative exposure. After adjustment for employment duration, the excess rate ratio for lung cancer mortality was 0.67 (95% CI = 0.35-0.99) for a 10-year lagged exposure to 200 μg/m3 REC, a typical below-ground exposure in the study mines. At exposures of 200, 10, and 1 μg/m3 REC, the estimated excess lifetime risks, respectively, were 119, 43, and 8.7 per thousand. Analysis of an inception cohort hired after dieselization commenced produced smaller and less certain estimates of lifetime risk. From exposures to conventional diesel engine exhaust common in occupational groups in the past, the excess lifetime risk of lung cancer was more than 5%. Ambient REC exposures in the general population were estimated to confer lifetime risks of 0.14 to 14 per thousand, depending on assumptions made.
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7
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Alkufi AA, Abojassim AA, Oleiwi MH. Use of air things radon detector in liquid samples (serum and urine). Appl Radiat Isot 2024; 207:111265. [PMID: 38432033 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2024.111265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
This study involved the assessment of 222Rn concentrations in liquid samples (namely serum and urine) obtained from individuals who were smokers and non-smokers across five distinct age groups in the Najaf Governorate of Iraq. The measurements were conducted using a portable digital Air Things device commonly employed for detecting radon gas in residential environments. This device was placed in a container that is placed in liquid samples, which makes it work to capture the existing radon. The mean value of radon concentrations in serum and urine samples for smokers was 5.64 ± 2.80 Bq/m3 and 3.56 ± 2.31 Bq/m3, respectively. While, the mean value of radon concentrations in serum and urine samples for non-smokers was 2.32 ± 0.67 Bq/m3 and 1.61 ± 1.00 Bq/m3, respectively. By comparing the radon concentrations for serum and urine samples with age and smoking groups, the value of P-Value (p < 0.01) was increased significantly statistically. Also, it is found that a positive and good correlation for radon concentrations between serum and urine. Although the levels of radon were found to be under the globally accepted thresholds, the results of 222Rn in all samples of serum and urine in smokers were higher than in non-smokers. Thus, it may be concluded that cigarette smoking is used as a biomarker of the presence of radon gas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulhussein A Alkufi
- University of Babylon, College of Education for Pure Sciences, Department of Physics, Babylon, Iraq; Education Directorate of Najaf, Ministry of Education, Al-Najaf, Iraq
| | - Ali Abid Abojassim
- University of Kufa, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics, Al-Najaf, Iraq.
| | - Mohanad H Oleiwi
- University of Babylon, College of Education for Pure Sciences, Department of Physics, Babylon, Iraq
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8
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Briones C, Jubera J, Alonso H, Olaiz J, Santana JT, Rodríguez-Brito N, Arriola-Velásquez AC, Miquel N, Tejera A, Martel P, González-Díaz E, Rubiano JG. Indoor radon risk mapping of the Canary Islands using a methodology for volcanic islands combining geological information and terrestrial gamma radiation data. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171212. [PMID: 38428605 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Within the framework of the recent approval of the National Plan Against Radon by the Council of Ministers of the Spanish Government, one of its five axes focuses on the delimitation of priority action areas. In line with this objective, this paper presents the indoor radon risk maps of the Canary Islands. Due to the volcanic origin of the Canary Islands, there is a great deal of geological heterogeneity in the soils on which buildings settle, making it very difficult to delimit radon-risk areas in the process of creating maps. Following a methodology developed in previous works for a study area formed of a set of representative municipalities, this paper presents radon risk maps of the Canary Islands based on lithostratigraphic information and high-resolution terrestrial gamma radiation maps. The goodness of fit of these maps is verified based on a statistical analysis of indoor radon concentration measurements carried out at representative building enclosures. In order to analyse the level of risk to the population, these maps were combined with built up areas (urban fabric) maps and estimations of the annual effective doses due to radon was obtained by applying a dosimetric model. This methodology improves the capability to delimit indoor radon risk areas, with a greater margin of safety. In this respect, it is estimated that areas classified as low risk have indoor radon concentrations 41 % below the current reference level of 300 Bq/m3 established by national regulations in compliance with the precepts laid down in the European EURATOM Directive.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Briones
- Dpto. de Técnicas y Proyectos en Ingeniería y Arquitectura de la Universidad de La Laguna, 38204, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - J Jubera
- Servicio de Laboratorios y Calidad de la Construcción del Gobierno de Canarias, 38107, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - H Alonso
- Dpto. de Física, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - J Olaiz
- Servicio de Laboratorios y Calidad de la Construcción del Gobierno de Canarias, 38107, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - J T Santana
- Servicio de Laboratorios y Calidad de la Construcción del Gobierno de Canarias, 38107, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - N Rodríguez-Brito
- Servicio de Laboratorios y Calidad de la Construcción del Gobierno de Canarias, 38107, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - A C Arriola-Velásquez
- Dpto. de Física, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - N Miquel
- Dpto. de Física, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - A Tejera
- Dpto. de Física, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - P Martel
- Dpto. de Física, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - E González-Díaz
- Dpto. de Técnicas y Proyectos en Ingeniería y Arquitectura de la Universidad de La Laguna, 38204, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - J G Rubiano
- Dpto. de Física, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017, Canary Islands, Spain.
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9
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Pulliam HR, Springer SD, Rice DL, Ende GC, Johnson HJ, Willett MP, Wilson TW, Taylor BK. Neurotoxic effects of home radon exposure on oscillatory dynamics serving attentional orienting in children and adolescents. Neuroimage 2024; 292:120606. [PMID: 38604538 PMCID: PMC11097196 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that contributes significantly to radiation in the environment and is the second leading cause of lung cancer globally. Previous studies have shown that other environmental toxins have deleterious effects on brain development, though radon has not been studied as thoroughly in this context. This study examined the impact of home radon exposure on the neural oscillatory activity serving attention reorientation in youths. Fifty-six participants (ages 6-14 years) completed a classic Posner cuing task during magnetoencephalography (MEG), and home radon levels were measured for each participant. Time-frequency spectrograms indicated stronger theta (3-7 Hz, 300-800 ms), alpha (9-13 Hz, 400-900 ms), and beta responses (14-24 Hz, 400-900 ms) during the task relative to baseline. Source reconstruction of each significant oscillatory response was performed, and validity maps were computed by subtracting the task conditions (invalidly cued - validly cued). These validity maps were examined for associations with radon exposure, age, and their interaction in a linear regression design. Children with greater radon exposure showed aberrant oscillatory activity across distributed regions critical for attentional processing and attention reorientation (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex). Generally, youths with greater radon exposure exhibited a reverse neural validity effect in almost all regions and showed greater overall power relative to peers with lesser radon exposure. We also detected an interactive effect between radon exposure and age where youths with greater radon exposure exhibited divergent developmental trajectories in neural substrates implicated in attentional processing (e.g., bilateral prefrontal cortices, superior temporal gyri, and inferior parietal lobules). These data suggest aberrant, but potentially compensatory neural processing as a function of increasing home radon exposure in areas critical for attention and higher order cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley R Pulliam
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Seth D Springer
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Danielle L Rice
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Grace C Ende
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Hallie J Johnson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Madelyn P Willett
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Brittany K Taylor
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
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10
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Kreuzer M, Sommer M, Deffner V, Bertke S, Demers PA, Kelly-Reif K, Laurier D, Rage E, Richardson DB, Samet JM, Schubauer-Berigan MK, Tomasek L, Wiggins C, Zablotska LB, Fenske N. Lifetime excess absolute risk for lung cancer due to exposure to radon: results of the pooled uranium miners cohort study PUMA. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2024; 63:7-16. [PMID: 38172372 PMCID: PMC10920468 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-023-01049-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The Pooled Uranium Miners Analysis (PUMA) study is the largest uranium miners cohort with 119,709 miners, 4.3 million person-years at risk and 7754 lung cancer deaths. Excess relative rate (ERR) estimates for lung cancer mortality per unit of cumulative exposure to radon progeny in working level months (WLM) based on the PUMA study have been reported. The ERR/WLM was modified by attained age, time since exposure or age at exposure, and exposure rate. This pattern was found for the full PUMA cohort and the 1960 + sub-cohort, i.e., miners hired in 1960 or later with chronic low radon exposures and exposure rates. The aim of the present paper is to calculate the lifetime excess absolute risk (LEAR) of lung cancer mortality per WLM using the PUMA risk models, as well as risk models derived in previously published smaller uranium miner studies, some of which are included in PUMA. The same methods were applied for all risk models, i.e., relative risk projection up to <95 years of age, an exposure scenario of 2 WLM per year from age 18-64 years, and baseline mortality rates representing a mixed Euro-American-Asian population. Depending upon the choice of model, the estimated LEAR per WLM are 5.38 × 10-4 or 5.57 × 10-4 in the full PUMA cohort and 7.50 × 10-4 or 7.66 × 10-4 in the PUMA 1960 + sub-cohort, respectively. The LEAR per WLM estimates derived from risk models reported for previously published uranium miners studies range from 2.5 × 10-4 to 9.2 × 10-4. PUMA strengthens knowledge on the radon-related lung cancer LEAR, a useful way to translate models for policy purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kreuzer
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Munich (Neuherberg), Germany.
| | - M Sommer
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Munich (Neuherberg), Germany
| | - V Deffner
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Munich (Neuherberg), Germany
| | - S Bertke
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - P A Demers
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - K Kelly-Reif
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - D Laurier
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - E Rage
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | | | - J M Samet
- Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - L Tomasek
- National Radiation Protection Institute, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - C Wiggins
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- New Mexico Tumor Registry, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - N Fenske
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Munich (Neuherberg), Germany
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11
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Montañez-Reyes AT, Sajo-Bohus L, Martinez-Ovalle SA. Radon activity concentration RnCA and workers lung cancer risks in SENA coal mines, Colombia. Appl Radiat Isot 2024; 205:111158. [PMID: 38159450 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.111158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The risk of lung cancer or pneumoconiosis mortality, increases with radioactive radon gas exposures. This article report health risk for underground workers exposed to radioactive gas and radon daughters carried by airborne dust at the coal mining in the Central Mountainous Region of Colombia. A set of 33 measurement points located in that mine galleries were selected to monitor radon gas concentration activity, by passive LR-115 detectors, during two months. Resulting values provided radon concentrations, absorbed dose, environmental equivalent dose and the effective dose; miners increased risk of contracting lung cancer is included. It is concluded that the mine ventilation system satisfies the conditions required by the current radiological protection of the miners. Our study point out that Colombia can effectively address the potential risks associated with radon exposure and ensure a safer living environment for its citizens.
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Affiliation(s)
- A T Montañez-Reyes
- Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia, CP 150003
| | - L Sajo-Bohus
- Universidad Simón Bolívar, Baruta Ap.do 89000, Caracas, Venezuela YV-1080A; Alba Regia Technical Faculty, Óbuda University, 8000 Szekesfehervar, Hungary
| | - S A Martinez-Ovalle
- Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia, CP 150003; Centro de Cancerología de Boyacá, Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia, CP 150003.
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12
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Stoulos S. Radon indoors source potential from soil gas in a temperate climate: impact of infiltration rate and seismicity. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:20277-20292. [PMID: 38372915 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32334-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Indoor radon source potential from unground soil was monitored using prototype devices approaching a dwelling with a cellar basement at 1 depth from the soil-atmosphere interface. Therefore, the radon concentrations in soil gas were monitored at 1 m depth. Integrated radon measurements were performed, and the results correlated with meteorological parameters. The influence of the difference in outdoor and device-soil temperature was considered, and the infiltration rate was calculated. The effect of the soil temperature gradient on the soil radon entry rate was evaluated. The indoor radon entry rate due to the soil gas was 7.0 ± 2.7 Bq m-3 h-1. The radon entry rate was 5.0 ± 0.8 Bq m-3 h-1 due to diffusion. In contrast, the advection-drive flow of soil gas is ranged up to ± 4.0 Bq m-3 h-1. So, the infiltration rate of the model dwelling was 0.7 (± 0.5) × 10-1 h-1 if only the stack effect occurred. The radon levels in tap water were measured, and the radon entry rate was estimated at 1.3 ± 0.7 Bq m-3 h-1. If the ventilation rate is low or seismic faulting appears, the soil radon entry is increased by one order of magnitude. The soil radon appeared like the building materials, having 1/3 of the total indoor radon entry, while outdoor air was slightly lower (28%), with tap water at 5%. The resident's mortality risk occurred at < 2.5% for typical dwellings in temperate climate areas founded on sand-gravel underground. The risk rises to 34% with an extremely low ventilation rate between indoors and outdoors or high radon entry from the soil due to seismic faulting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stylianos Stoulos
- Nuclear Physics Lab, School of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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13
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Lee H, Hanson HA, Logan J, Maguire D, Kapadia A, Dewji S, Agasthya G. Evaluating county-level lung cancer incidence from environmental radiation exposure, PM 2.5, and other exposures with regression and machine learning models. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2024; 46:82. [PMID: 38367080 PMCID: PMC10874317 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01820-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Characterizing the interplay between exposures shaping the human exposome is vital for uncovering the etiology of complex diseases. For example, cancer risk is modified by a range of multifactorial external environmental exposures. Environmental, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors all shape lung cancer risk. However, epidemiological studies of radon aimed at identifying populations at high risk for lung cancer often fail to consider multiple exposures simultaneously. For example, moderating factors, such as PM2.5, may affect the transport of radon progeny to lung tissue. This ecological analysis leveraged a population-level dataset from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results data (2013-17) to simultaneously investigate the effect of multiple sources of low-dose radiation (gross [Formula: see text] activity and indoor radon) and PM2.5 on lung cancer incidence rates in the USA. County-level factors (environmental, sociodemographic, lifestyle) were controlled for, and Poisson regression and random forest models were used to assess the association between radon exposure and lung and bronchus cancer incidence rates. Tree-based machine learning (ML) method perform better than traditional regression: Poisson regression: 6.29/7.13 (mean absolute percentage error, MAPE), 12.70/12.77 (root mean square error, RMSE); Poisson random forest regression: 1.22/1.16 (MAPE), 8.01/8.15 (RMSE). The effect of PM2.5 increased with the concentration of environmental radon, thereby confirming findings from previous studies that investigated the possible synergistic effect of radon and PM2.5 on health outcomes. In summary, the results demonstrated (1) a need to consider multiple environmental exposures when assessing radon exposure's association with lung cancer risk, thereby highlighting (1) the importance of an exposomics framework and (2) that employing ML models may capture the complex interplay between environmental exposures and health, as in the case of indoor radon exposure and lung cancer incidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heechan Lee
- Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Programs, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 770 State Street, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Advanced Computing for Health Sciences Section, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Heidi A Hanson
- Advanced Computing for Health Sciences Section, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Jeremy Logan
- Data Engineering Group, Data and AI Section, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Dakotah Maguire
- Advanced Computing for Health Sciences Section, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Anuj Kapadia
- Advanced Computing for Health Sciences Section, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Shaheen Dewji
- Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Programs, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 770 State Street, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Greeshma Agasthya
- Advanced Computing for Health Sciences Section, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
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14
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Kreuzer M, Deffner V, Sommer M, Fenske N. Updated risk models for lung cancer due to radon exposure in the German Wismut cohort of uranium miners, 1946-2018. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2023; 62:415-425. [PMID: 37695330 PMCID: PMC10628028 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-023-01043-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
UNSCEAR recently recommended that future research on the lung cancer risk at low radon exposures or exposure rates should focus on more contemporary uranium miners. For this purpose, risk models in the German Wismut cohort of uranium miners were updated extending the follow-up period by 5 years to 1946-2018. The full cohort (n = 58,972) and specifically the 1960 + sub-cohort of miners first hired in 1960 or later (n = 26,764) were analyzed. The 1960 + sub-cohort is characterized by low protracted radon exposure of high quality of measurements. Internal Poisson regression was used to estimate the excess relative risk (ERR) for lung cancer per cumulative radon exposure in Working Level Months (WLM). Applying the BEIR VI exposure-age-concentration model, the ERR/100 WLM was 2.50 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81; 4.18) and 6.92 (95% CI < 0; 16.59) among miners with attained age < 55 years, time since exposure 5-14 years, and annual exposure rates < 0.5 WL in the full (n = 4329 lung cancer deaths) and in the 1960 + sub-cohort (n = 663 lung cancer deaths), respectively. Both ERR/WLM decreased with older attained ages, increasing time since exposure, and higher exposure rates. Findings of the 1960 + sub-cohort are in line with those from large pooled studies, and ERR/WLM are about two times higher than in the full Wismut cohort. Notably, 20-30 years after closure of the Wismut mines in 1990, the estimated fraction of lung cancer deaths attributable to occupational radon exposure is still 26% in the full Wismut cohort and 19% in the 1960 + sub-cohort, respectively. This demonstrates the need for radiation protection against radon.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kreuzer
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - V Deffner
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - M Sommer
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - N Fenske
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
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15
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Sychugov GV, Azizova TV, Zhuntova GV, Grigoryeva ES, Loffredo CA, Hamada N, Kazachkov EL. Immunohistochemical Analysis of Lung Adenocarcinoma in Russian Mayak Nuclear Workers. Cancer Invest 2023; 41:686-698. [PMID: 37291892 DOI: 10.1080/07357907.2023.2218489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Specimens of lung adenocarcinoma (AdCa) from Russian nuclear workers (n = 54) exposed to alpha particles and gamma rays and from individuals non-exposed to radiation (n = 21) were examined using immunohistochemistry. Estimated significant associations with alpha dose were negative for Ki-67 and collagen IV in AdCa. Associations with gamma-ray dose were negative for tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and caspase 3 and positive for matrix metalloproteinase 2 and leukemia inhibiting factor in AdCa. The findings provide some evidence supporting alterations in apoptosis, cell proliferation and extracellular matrix in lung tissues affected by chronic radiation exposure that can contribute to radiogenic cancerogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gleb V Sychugov
- South Ural State Medical University, Ministry of Health, Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - Tamara V Azizova
- Southern Urals Biophysics Institute, Russian Federal Medical Biological Agency, Ozyorsk, Russia
| | - Galina V Zhuntova
- Southern Urals Biophysics Institute, Russian Federal Medical Biological Agency, Ozyorsk, Russia
| | - Evgeniya S Grigoryeva
- Southern Urals Biophysics Institute, Russian Federal Medical Biological Agency, Ozyorsk, Russia
| | - Christopher A Loffredo
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Nobuyuki Hamada
- Biology and Environmental Chemistry Division, Sustainable System Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), Chiba, Japan
| | - Evgeniy L Kazachkov
- South Ural State Medical University, Ministry of Health, Chelyabinsk, Russia
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16
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Pourshabanian M, Nasseri S, Nodehi RN, Hosseini SS, Mahvi AH. Radon measurement and age-independent effective dose attributed to ingestion of bottled water in Iran: sensitivity analysis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12717. [PMID: 37543701 PMCID: PMC10404218 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39679-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive study was made to measure the radon concentration in bottled water available in Iran market. The 222Rn concentration in 70 bottled water samples were measured by the sniffing mode technique and RTM 1688-2 (SARAD, Germany) in immediate sampling time and 3 months later for determination of radon decay. The measured radon concentration ranged from 0.003 to 0.618 Bq L-1 in bottled water samples, which were much lower than the recommended value for radon in drinking water by WHO (100 Bq L-1) and United states environmental protection agency (USEPA) (11.1 Bq L-1). The annual effective dose of 222Rn due to ingestion bottled water was also evaluated in this research. The mean annual effective dose due to ingestion of radon in bottled water for adults, children, and infants were estimated to vary from 5.30 × 10-4 mSv-1, 4.90 × 10-4 mSv-1, and 2.15 × 10-4 mSv-1, respectively. Overall, this study indicated that the Iranian people receive no significant radiological risk due to exposure to radon concentration in bottled water brands common consumed in Iranian market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Pourshabanian
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Center for Solid Waste Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Simin Nasseri
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Center for Solid Waste Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ramin Nabizadeh Nodehi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Center for Solid Waste Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Sadat Hosseini
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Mahvi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Center for Solid Waste Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
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17
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Abdelfadeel EH, El-Halim ESA, Hegazy TM, Ghany HAA. Relationship between radioactivity and toxicity in some medicinal plants. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10952. [PMID: 37414833 PMCID: PMC10326242 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37403-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants absorb water, nutrients and minerals from the soil through their root. Also, minerals, the radionuclides present in the growing media also are absorbed by plant parts following the same pathway. Consequently, it is important to determine the concentrations of these radionuclides in edible plants to access the associated risk to human health. In the present work, the levels of natural radioactivity and the level of some toxic elements in 17 medicinal plants, commonly used in Egypt, were measured using high-purity germanium gamma spectrometry and atomic absorption, respectively. The investigated plants were sub-grouped according to the edible parts into leave samples (n = 8), roots (n = 3), and seeds (n = 6). Also, the specific activity of both radon and thoron was measured by using alpha emitters registration which is emitted from radon and thoron gases in CR-39 nuclear track detectors. Additionally, the concentration of some toxic elements (Cu, Zn, Cd and, Pb) in six samples of medicinal plants was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman H Abdelfadeel
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - E S Abd El-Halim
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - T M Hegazy
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - H A Abdel Ghany
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain-Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
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18
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Yerimbetova DS, Kozlovskiy AL, Tuichiyev UN, Zhumadilov KS. Study of the Sensitivity Limit of Detection of α-Particles by Polymer Film Detectors LR-115 Type 2 Using X-ray Diffraction and UV-Vis Spectroscopic Methods. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15112500. [PMID: 37299298 DOI: 10.3390/polym15112500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
This work is devoted to the applicability assessment of optical spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction methods to establish the lower detection limit for the density of latent tracks from α-particles in polymer nuclear-track detectors, in the case of simulation of the formation of radon decay daughter products using Am-241 sources. During the studies, the detection limit for the density of latent tracks-traces of the interaction of α-particles with the molecular structure of film detectors-was established using optical UV spectroscopy (104 track/cm2) and X-ray diffraction (104 track/cm2). At the same time, analysis of the connection between structural and optical changes in polymer films indicates that a growth in the density of latent tracks above 106-107 results into the formation of an anisotropic change in the electron density associated with distortions in the molecular structure of the polymer. An analysis of the parameters of diffraction reflections (the position and width of the diffraction maximum) showed that in the range of latent track densities of 104-108 track/cm2, the main changes in these values are associated with deformation distortions and stresses caused by ionization processes during the interaction of incident particles with the molecular structure of the polymer. The increase in optical density, in turn, is caused by the accumulation of structurally changed regions (latent tracks) in the polymer as the irradiation density increases. A general analysis of the obtained data showed good agreement between the optical and structural characteristics of the films depending on the irradiation density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana S Yerimbetova
- Engineering Profile Laboratory, L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana 010008, Kazakhstan
| | - Artem L Kozlovskiy
- Engineering Profile Laboratory, L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana 010008, Kazakhstan
- Laboratory of Solid State Physics, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Almaty 050032, Kazakhstan
- Department of "Chemical Processes and Industrial Ecology", Satbayev University, Almaty 050032, Kazakhstan
| | - Umitali N Tuichiyev
- RSE "Medical Centre Hospital of the President's Affairs Administration of the Republic of Kazakhstan", Astana 010008, Kazakhstan
| | - Kassym S Zhumadilov
- Engineering Profile Laboratory, L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana 010008, Kazakhstan
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Park J, Kim YJ, Chang BU, Kim JY, Kim KP. Assessment of indoor radon exposure in South Korea. JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION 2023; 43:021506. [PMID: 36996806 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/acc8e0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study is to update the national and regional indoor radon concentrations in South Korea and assess indoor radon exposure. Based on the previously published survey results and the collected measurement data of surveys conducted since 2011, a total of 9271 indoor radon measurement data covering 17 administrative divisions are finally used for analysis. The annual effective dose from the indoor radon exposure is calculated using dose coefficients recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The population-weighted average indoor radon concentration was estimated to be a geometric mean of 46 Bq m-3(GSD = 1.2) with 3.9% of all samples showing values exceeding 300 Bq m-3. The regional average indoor radon concentration ranged from 34 to 73 Bq m-3. The radon concentrations in detached houses were relatively higher than those in public buildings and multi-family houses. The annual effective doses to the Korean population due to indoor radon exposure were estimated to be 2.18 mSv. The updated values in this study might better represent the national indoor radon exposure level in South Korea because they contain more samples and cover a wider range of geographical areas than previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaewoo Park
- Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, 62 Gwahak-ro, 34142 Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyeong-daero, 17104 Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Jae Kim
- Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, 62 Gwahak-ro, 34142 Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Uck Chang
- Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, 62 Gwahak-ro, 34142 Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Young Kim
- Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, 62 Gwahak-ro, 34142 Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Pyo Kim
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyeong-daero, 17104 Yongin, Republic of Korea
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20
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Jamir S, Sahoo BK, Mishra R, Sinha D. A case study on seasonal and annual average indoor radon, thoron, and their progeny level in Kohima district, Nagaland, India. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2023; 59:100-111. [PMID: 36328597 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2022.2140147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Indoor radon and thoron survey has been carried out in 50 dwellings under Kohima district, Nagaland, India, using the latest measurement technology. The survey has been carried out for a one-year period in 3 different seasons, and the dwellings were selected according to the building materials used for construction. Indoor radon and thoron concentrations, as well as their progeny, followed a predictable pattern with greater levels in the winter and lower levels in the summer. Concrete housing had greater radon and thoron concentrations than bamboo and semi-wood/bamboo homes. The equilibrium factor (E.F.) and inhalation dose due to radon, thoron, and their corresponding progeny were also studied in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - B K Sahoo
- Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, BARC, Mumbai, India
| | - Rosaline Mishra
- Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, BARC, Mumbai, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Dipak Sinha
- Department of Chemistry, Nagaland University, Lumami, India
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21
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Hansen V, Sabo A, Korn J, MacLean D, Rigét FF, Clausen DS, Cubley J. Indoor radon survey in Whitehorse, Canada, and dose assessment. JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION 2023; 43:011515. [PMID: 36731127 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/acb82a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Radon-222 (222Rn) and its decay products are the primary sources of a population's exposure to background ionizing radiation. Radon decay products are the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking for smokers. A community-driven long-term radon survey was completed in 232 residential homes in different subdivisions of Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon, during the heating season from November to April in 2016-2017 and in 2017-2018. Radon concentrations were measured in living rooms and bedrooms on ground floors. The arithmetic and geometric means of indoor radon activity concentrations in different subdivisions of Whitehorse ranged from 52 ± 0.6 Bq m-3and 37 ± 2.3 Bq m-3in the Downtown area of Whitehorse to 993.0 ± 55.0 Bq m-3and 726.2 ± 2.4 Bq m-3in Wolf Creek. Underlying geology and glacial surfaces may partly explain these variations of indoor radon concentrations in subdivisions of Whitehorse. A total of 78 homes (34.0%) had radon concentrations higher than 100 Bq m-3, 47 homes (20.5%) had concentrations higher than 200 Bq m-3and 33 homes (14.4%) had concentrations higher than 300 Bq m-3. The indoor radon contribution to the annual effective inhalation dose to residents ranged from 3.0 mSv in the Downtown area to 51.0 mSv in Wolf Creek. The estimated annual average dose to adults in Whitehorse, Yukon, is higher than the world's average annual effective dose of 1.3 mSv due to the inhalation of indoor radon. The annual radon inhalation effective dose was assessed using radon measurements taken during winter; hence the assessed dose may be overestimated. Cost-efficient mitigation methods are available to reduce radon in existing buildings and to prevent radon entry into new buildings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Hansen
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, Roskilde DK-4000, Denmark
| | - Angela Sabo
- Yukon Lung Association, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 5Y5, Canada
| | - Juergen Korn
- Yukon Housing Corporation, 410 Jarvis St, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6, Canada
| | | | - Frank Farsø Rigét
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, Roskilde DK-4000, Denmark
- Greenland Institute for Natural Resources, Kivioq 2, Nuuk GL-3900, Greenland
| | - Daniel Spelling Clausen
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, Roskilde DK-4000, Denmark
| | - Joel Cubley
- School of Science, Yukon University, 500 University Drive, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 5K4, Canada
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22
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Adelikhah M, Imani M, Kovács T. Measurements and computational fluid dynamics investigation of the indoor radon distribution in a typical naturally ventilated room. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2064. [PMID: 36739299 PMCID: PMC9899222 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23642-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Based on the European Union Basic Safety Standards to protect people against exposure to ionizing radiation, establishing and addressing the reference levels for indoor radon concentrations is necessary. Therefore, the indoor radon concentration should be monitored and control in dwelling and workplaces. However, proper ventilation and sustainability are the major factors that influence how healthy the environment in a building is for its occupants. In this paper, the indoor radon distribution in a typical naturally ventilated room under two scenarios (when the door is closed and open) using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique was studied. The CFD code ANSYS Fluent 2020 R1 based on the finite volume method was employed before the simulation results were compared with analytical calculations as well as passive and active measurements. The average radon concentration from the CFD simulation was found to be between 70.21 and 66.25 Bq m-3 under closed and open-door conditions, respectively, at the desired ventilation rate of 1 ACH (Air Changes per Hour). Moreover, the highest concentrations of radon were measured close to the floor and the lowest values were recorded near to the inlet, resulting in the airflow velocity profile. The simulation results were in good agreement with the maxima of 19% and 7% compared to analytical calculations at different indoor air velocities in the open- and closed-door scenarios, respectively. The measured radon concentrations obtained by the active measurements also fitted well with the CFD results, for example, with a relative standard deviation of around 7% and 2% when measured by AlphaGUARD and RAD7 monitors at a height of 1.0 m above the ground in the open-door scenario. From the simulation results, the effective dose received by an individual from the indoor air of the workplace was also calculated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammademad Adelikhah
- grid.7336.10000 0001 0203 5854Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, 8200 Hungary
| | - Morteza Imani
- grid.412502.00000 0001 0686 4748Engineering Department, G.C, Shahid Beheshti University, P.O. Box: 1983963113, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tibor Kovács
- grid.7336.10000 0001 0203 5854Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, 8200 Hungary
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23
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Salazar‐Carballo PA, López‐Pérez M, Martín‐González ME, Hernández‐Suarez F, Martín‐Luis MC. Radon Dynamics and Effective Dose Estimation in a Touristic Volcanic Cave: La Cueva del Viento, Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). GEOHEALTH 2023; 7:e2022GH000704. [PMID: 36789206 PMCID: PMC9911345 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
La Cueva del Viento is a volcanic lava tube located in Tenerife Island (Canary Islands, Spain). Its touristic section, 180 m long, receives more than 28,200 visitants each year. According to the European and Spanish legislation, a radon monitoring program is required to minimize the radon exposition of workers, tourists, and cavers. In this work, we studied the radon concentration dynamics in the touristic section of the cave for ca. 1 year, using both passive and active radon detectors. Pluviometry and external air temperature played an important role in the seasonal and daily variations of indoor radon concentrations. Daily fluctuations during the dry season were analyzed using time series (Box-Jenkins methodology) and frequency analysis (Fourier and Wavelet transforms) methods. The experimental radon time-series was well-fitted using a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average model: Seasonal Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (2,0,1) (2,1,0)24, and its value, in a short-time window (ca. 1 week) was conveniently forecasted. Finally, this work revealed that the annual effective doses received, during the observation period (1 year), by the touristic guides and visitors was ca. 2 mSv/yr and 4 μSv/hr, respectively. We concluded that the touristic exploitation of La Cueva del Viento is safe for both tourists and guides. However, based on our results, La Cueva del Viento had to be classified as a "Monitoring zone" and a regular monitoring program should be implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro A. Salazar‐Carballo
- Departamento de Medicina Física y FarmacologíaFacultad de Ciencias de la SaludUniversidad de La LagunaSan Cristóbal de La LagunaSpain
- Laboratorio de Física Médica y Radioactividad AmbientalSEGAIUniversidad de La LagunaSan Cristóbal de La LagunaSpain
| | - María López‐Pérez
- Laboratorio de Física Médica y Radioactividad AmbientalSEGAIUniversidad de La LagunaSan Cristóbal de La LagunaSpain
| | | | - Francisco Hernández‐Suarez
- Laboratorio de Física Médica y Radioactividad AmbientalSEGAIUniversidad de La LagunaSan Cristóbal de La LagunaSpain
| | - M. Candelaria Martín‐Luis
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Edafología y GeologíaFacultad de CienciasUniversidad de La LagunaSan Cristóbal de La LagunaSpain
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24
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Zeng C, Lai W, Zhou J, Lin H, Feng X, Yu Y, Gu R, Sun S, Wu J. Application of FSVD Algorithm to Airborne Gamma Detection of Trace Radionuclides in the Process of a High Radon Background. NUCL TECHNOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/00295450.2022.2133515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chenhao Zeng
- Chengdu University of Technology, College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Wanchang Lai
- Chengdu University of Technology, College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Jinge Zhou
- Chengdu University of Technology, College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Hongjian Lin
- Chengdu University of Technology, College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaojie Feng
- Chengdu University of Technology, College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Yongping Yu
- Chengdu University of Technology, College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Runqiu Gu
- Chengdu University of Technology, College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Shangqing Sun
- Chengdu University of Technology, College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
| | - Jinfei Wu
- Chengdu University of Technology, College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
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25
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Ren J, Wang S, Bi K, Cheng M, Liu C, Zhou L, Xue X, Ji X. Machine Learning-Enabled Framework for High-Throughput Screening of MOFs: Application in Radon/Indoor Air Separation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:1305-1316. [PMID: 36575576 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c19207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Radon and its progeny may cause severe health hazards, especially for people working in underground spaces. Therefore, in this study, a hybrid artificial intelligence machine learning-enabled framework is proposed for high-throughput screening of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as adsorbents for radon separation from indoor air. MOFs from a specific database were initially screened using a pore-limiting diameter filter. Subsequently, random forest classification and grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations were implemented to identify MOFs with a high adsorbent performance score (APS) and high regenerability (R %). Interpretability and trustworthiness were determined by variable importance analysis , and adsorption mechanisms were elucidated by calculating the adsorption sites using Materials Studio. Notably, two MOF candidates were discovered with higher APS values in both the radon/N2 and radon/O2 systems compared with that of ZrSQU which is the best-performing MOF thus far, with R % values exceeding 85%. Furthermore, the proposed framework can be flexibly applied to multiple data sets due to good performance in model transfer. Therefore, the proposed framework has the potential to provide guidelines for the strategic design of MOFs for radon separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyu Ren
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
| | - Shihui Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
| | - Kexin Bi
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
- Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin10623, Germany
| | - Min Cheng
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
| | - Chong Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
| | - Li Zhou
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
| | - Xiaoyu Xue
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
| | - Xu Ji
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
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26
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Miklyaev PS, Petrova TB, Shchitov DV, Sidyakin PA, Murzabekov MA, Tsebro DN, Marennyy AM, Nefedov NA, Gavriliev SG. Radon transport in permeable geological environments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 852:158382. [PMID: 36049692 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
This article presents the results of a long-term soil radon and meteorological parameter monitoring study in the fault zone at Mt. Beshtau, North Caucasus, which for more than 3 years. Strong seasonal variations in the radon levels with maxima during summer and minima during winter were recorded. The values of radon exhalation and soil radon concentration have a range of 0.025-25 Bq m 2 s -1 and 1-170 kBq m -3, respectively. In addition, measurements of the air radon concentration, and direction of air movement at the adits mouths of the former uranium mine on the same mountain were carried out. Seasonal radon variations, similar to those observed in fault zones, were recorded at the mouths of adits. It was established that radon anomalies are associated with the periodic release of mine air from the fractures and tunnels into the atmosphere. Above an altitude of 900 m a. s. l., an abnormal release of radon occurs in winter, when the mine air is warmer than the surrounding atmosphere. At the altitudes below 900 m the cold radon rich air blows from the adit mouths in summer. During mine air discharge, radon concentrations in the open atmosphere locally around the adit mouth reach 600,000 Bq m-3, averaging 50,000-250,000 Bq m-3. The temporal pattern of radon fluctuations in fault zones and at the adit mouths is similar. A very close correlation between radon levels and atmospheric air temperature was observed both in the fault zone and at the adits mouths. It indicates that radon release in both cases are caused by a single mechanism. This mechanism probably is the atmospheric air circulation in shallow permeable zones due to the temperature difference between the inside mountain and ambient atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr S Miklyaev
- Sergeev Institute of Environmental Geoscience Russian Academy of Sciences (IEG RAS), Ulansky per. 13 build. 2, 101000 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Tatiana B Petrova
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Radiochemistry, Leninskie Gory 1 build. 3, GSP-1, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitriy V Shchitov
- North Caucasus Federal University, Pyatigorsk Branch, Engineering Faculty, Department of Construction, Ermolov str., 46a, 357500 Pyatigorsk, Russia
| | - Pavel A Sidyakin
- North Caucasus Federal University, Pyatigorsk Branch, Engineering Faculty, Department of Construction, Ermolov str., 46a, 357500 Pyatigorsk, Russia
| | - Murat A Murzabekov
- North Caucasus Federal University, Pyatigorsk Branch, Engineering Faculty, Department of Construction, Ermolov str., 46a, 357500 Pyatigorsk, Russia
| | - Dmitriy N Tsebro
- North Caucasus Federal University, Pyatigorsk Branch, Engineering Faculty, Department of Construction, Ermolov str., 46a, 357500 Pyatigorsk, Russia
| | - Albert M Marennyy
- Research and Technical Center of Radiation-Chemical Safety and Hygiene, Shchukinskaya ul. 40, 123182 Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikolay A Nefedov
- Research and Technical Center of Radiation-Chemical Safety and Hygiene, Shchukinskaya ul. 40, 123182 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sakhayaan G Gavriliev
- Sergeev Institute of Environmental Geoscience Russian Academy of Sciences (IEG RAS), Ulansky per. 13 build. 2, 101000 Moscow, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Radiochemistry, Leninskie Gory 1 build. 3, GSP-1, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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27
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Brobbey A, Rydz E, Fenton S, Demers PA, Ge CB, Peters CE. Characterizing occupational radon exposure greater than 100 Bq/m 3 in a highly exposed country. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21323. [PMID: 36494406 PMCID: PMC9734100 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25547-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Radon is an established lung carcinogen concentrating in indoor environments with importance for many workers worldwide. However, a systematic assessment of radon levels faced by all workers, not just those with direct uranium or radon exposure, has not previously been completed. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of workers exposed to radon, and the level of exposure (> 100-200 Bq/m3, 200-400 Bq/m3, 400-800 Bq/m3, and > 800 Bq/m3) in a highly exposed country (Canada). Exposures among underground workers were assessed using the CAREX Canada approach. Radon concentrations in indoor workplaces, obtained from two Canadian surveys, were modelled using lognormal distributions. Distributions were then applied to the susceptible indoor worker population to yield the number of exposed workers, by occupation, industry, province, and sex. In total, an estimated 603,000 out of Canada's 18,268,120 workers are exposed to radon in Canada. An estimated52% of exposed workers are women, even though they comprise only 48% of the labour force. The majority (68%) are exposed at a level of > 100-200 Bq/m3. Workers are primarily exposed in educational services, professional, scientific and technical services, and health care and social assistance, but workers in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction have the largest number of exposed workers at high levels (> 800 Bq/m3). Overall, a significant number of workers are exposed to radon, many of whom are not adequately protected by existing guidelines. Radon surveys across multiple industries and occupations are needed to better characterize occupational exposure. These results can be used to identify exposed workers, and to support lung cancer prevention programs within these groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Brobbey
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830CAREX Canada, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada ,grid.22072.350000 0004 1936 7697Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada
| | - E. Rydz
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830CAREX Canada, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada ,grid.22072.350000 0004 1936 7697Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada
| | - S. Fenton
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830CAREX Canada, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada ,grid.22072.350000 0004 1936 7697Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada
| | - P. A. Demers
- grid.512212.7Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - C. B. Ge
- grid.4858.10000 0001 0208 7216TNO, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - C. E. Peters
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830CAREX Canada, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada ,grid.22072.350000 0004 1936 7697Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada ,grid.418246.d0000 0001 0352 641XBCCDC, Vancouver, BC Canada ,BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC Canada
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28
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Yang Y, Lv L, Qiu S, Guan T, Guo C, Tang Q. Study on the influence of sampling methods for measuring soil radon exhalation rates. RADIAT MEAS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radmeas.2022.106880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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29
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Madas BG, Boei J, Fenske N, Hofmann W, Mezquita L. Effects of spatial variation in dose delivery: what can we learn from radon-related lung cancer studies? RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2022; 61:561-577. [PMID: 36208308 PMCID: PMC9630403 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-022-00998-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to radon progeny results in heterogeneous dose distributions in many different spatial scales. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the state of the art in epidemiology, clinical observations, cell biology, dosimetry, and modelling related to radon exposure and its association with lung cancer, along with priorities for future research. Particular attention is paid on the effects of spatial variation in dose delivery within the organs, a factor not considered in radiation protection. It is concluded that a multidisciplinary approach is required to improve risk assessment and mechanistic understanding of carcinogenesis related to radon exposure. To achieve these goals, important steps would be to clarify whether radon can cause other diseases than lung cancer, and to investigate radon-related health risks in children or persons at young ages. Also, a better understanding of the combined effects of radon and smoking is needed, which can be achieved by integrating epidemiological, clinical, pathological, and molecular oncology data to obtain a radon-associated signature. While in vitro models derived from primary human bronchial epithelial cells can help to identify new and corroborate existing biomarkers, they also allow to study the effects of heterogeneous dose distributions including the effects of locally high doses. These novel approaches can provide valuable input and validation data for mathematical models for risk assessment. These models can be applied to quantitatively translate the knowledge obtained from radon exposure to other exposures resulting in heterogeneous dose distributions within an organ to support radiation protection in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balázs G Madas
- Environmental Physics Department, Centre for Energy Research, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Jan Boei
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nora Fenske
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Munich (Neuherberg), Germany
| | - Werner Hofmann
- Biological Physics, Department of Chemistry and Physics of Materials, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Laura Mezquita
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Laboratory of Translational Genomic and Targeted Therapies in Solid Tumors, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
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30
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Assessment of Seasonal Radon Concentration in Dwellings and Soils in Selected Areas in Ga East, Greater Accra Region of Ghana. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 2022:6600919. [PMID: 36060873 PMCID: PMC9433276 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6600919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal radon levels have been studied in dwellings and soils in selected areas in Ga East, Greater Accra Region of Ghana using LR-115-type II (SSNTDs). This study was conducted to determine the seasonal correlation between soil and dwelling radon concentrations. Detectors were exposed from January to March and April to June, for dry and wet seasons, respectively. Overall, indoor radon was 133.4 ± 6.7 Bqm−3 and 72.1 ± 3.6 Bqm −3 for wet and dry seasons. The estimated annual effective dose to the lung received by the occupants at Paraku Estate, Dome, and Kwabenya was 6.9 ± 0.4, 7.2 ± 0.5, and 9.8 ± 0.8 mSvy−1 for the wet season and 3.8 ± 0.2, 4.3 ± 0.2, and 4.6 ± 0.3 mSvy−1 for the dry season. On average, the soil radon concentration was found to be 0.96 ± 0.07 kBqm−3 and 2.24 ± 0.01 kBqm−3 for wet and dry seasons. To determine the correlation between soil and dwelling radon, a positive Pearson correlation coefficient value R = (0.74) and R = (0.66) was obtained representing the dry and wet seasons. To test the statistical significance between soil and dwelling radon, P < 0.05 was obtained, indicating a statically significant relationship between the two.
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31
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Didier TSS, Yerima Abba H, Valentin V, Alidou M. Soil gas radon, indoor radon and its diurnal variation in the northern region of Cameroon. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2022; 58:402-419. [PMID: 35905287 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2022.2102617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Soil gas radon and indoor radon measurements have been carried out in Mayo-Louti and Benoué Divisions in northern Cameroon. Concentrations of radon in soil have been measured using Markus 10 at the depth of about 1 m. Radon concentration in soil varies from 0.9 to 13.8 kBq m-3 with a mean value of 4.6 kBq m-3. Average daily indoor radon concentrations measured with RadonEye+2 detectors vary from 7 to 60 Bq m-3 with an average of 17 Bq m-3. Indoor radon concentrations measured with passive RADTRAK detectors range between 15 and 104 Bq m-3 with a geometric value of 38 Bq m-3 and a geometric standard deviation of 1.5. This geometric value is lower than the value of 30 Bq m-3 given by UNSCEAR. Indoor radon inhalation dose ranges between 0.28 and 1.97 mSv a-1 with geometric value of 0.72 mSv a-1 (at 0.03 standard deviation). Outdoor radon inhalation ranges between 0.02 and 0.26 mSv a-1 with a mean value of 0.09 mSv a-1. The total annual effective dose due to indoor and outdoor radon exposure for this study area is 0.81 mSv a-1, less than 1.15 mSv a-1 the world average value given by UNSCEAR. There is no significant radiological risk for the inhabitants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takoukam Soh Serge Didier
- Nuclear Physics Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- National Radiation Protection Agency, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Hamadou Yerima Abba
- Research Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology, Institute of Geological and Mining Research, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Vaskanglang Valentin
- Atom and Radiation Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Maroua, Maroua, Cameroon
| | - Mohamadou Alidou
- National Advanced School of Engineering, University of Maroua, Maroua, Cameroon
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
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32
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Folesani G, Galetti M, Ranzieri S, Petronini PG, La Monica S, Corradi M, Cavallo D. Interaction between occupational radon exposure and tobacco smoke: a systematic review. Expert Rev Respir Med 2022; 16:787-800. [PMID: 35912519 DOI: 10.1080/17476348.2022.2108795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION : The risk of lung cancer from radon exposure was small compared to tobacco smoking (BEIR VI), but the relationship between these two carcinogenic agents has yet to be quantitatively estimated. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the last evidences on the role of radon occupational exposures and tobacco smoke on lung cancer risk. AREAS COVERED : Thirteen articles were selected using two different databases, PubMed and Scifinder, and were limited to those published from 2010 to 2021. The reference list of selected studies was reviewed to identify other relevant papers. EXPERT OPINION : Seven papers included in this systematic review did not deal with the multiplicative or the additive type of interaction between radon exposure and smoking habit. Six papers discussed the nature of this interaction with a prevalence of the sub-multiplicative model compared to the additive one. Altogether, smoking adjustment did not change significantly lung cancer risk. The included studies might constitute a starting point for updating the models for risk assessment in occupational and residential scenarios, promoting concomitantly the exposure reduction to radon and other cofactors, as recently introduced by Italian Legislative Decree number 101 of 31 July 2020, an application of Euratom Directive 59/2013.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Folesani
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL - Italian Workers' Compensation Authority, Via Fontana Candida 1, 00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy
| | - Maricla Galetti
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL - Italian Workers' Compensation Authority, Via Fontana Candida 1, 00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Ranzieri
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Viale Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Pier Giorgio Petronini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Viale Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Silvia La Monica
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Viale Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Massimo Corradi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Viale Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy.,Center of Excellence for Toxicological Research (CERT) at University of Parma, Viale Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Delia Cavallo
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL - Italian Workers' Compensation Authority, Via Fontana Candida 1, 00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy
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Zablotska LB, Lane RSD, Randhawa K. Association between exposures to radon and γ-ray radiation and histologic type of lung cancer in Eldorado uranium mining and milling workers from Canada. Cancer 2022; 128:3204-3216. [PMID: 35766801 PMCID: PMC9545258 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.34351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Background The authors assessed the association between radon decay products (RDP) exposure and histologic types of incident lung cancer in a cohort of 16,752 (91.6% male) Eldorado uranium workers who were first employed from 1932 to 1980 and were followed through 1969–1999. Methods Substantially revised identifying information and RDP exposures were obtained on workers from the Port Radium and Beaverlodge uranium mines and from the Port Hope radium and uranium refinery and processing facility in Canada. Poisson regression was conducted using the National Research Council's Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) VI–type models to estimate the risks of lung cancer by histologic type from RDP exposures and γ‐ray doses. Results Lung cancer incidence was significantly higher in workers compared with the general Canadian male population. Radiation risks of lung cancer for all histologic types (n = 594; 34% squamous cell, 16% small cell, 17% adenocarcinoma) increased with increasing RDP exposure, with no indication of curvature in the dose response (excess relative risk per 100 working level months = 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.39–0.91). Radiation risks did not differ by histologic type (p = .144). The best‐fitting BEIR VI–type model included adjustments for the significant modifying effects of time since exposure, exposure rate, and attained age. The addition of γ‐ray doses to the model with RDP exposures improved the model fit, but the risk estimates remained unchanged. Conclusions The first analysis of radiation risks of lung cancer histologic types in the Eldorado cohort supported the use of BEIR VI–type models to predict the future risk of histologic types of lung cancer from past and current RDP exposures. Lay summary Lung cancer survival depends strongly on the cell type of lung cancer. The best survival rates are for patients who have the adenocarcinoma type. This study included 16,752 Eldorado uranium workers who were exposed to radon and γ‐ray radiation during 1932–1980, were alive in 1969, and were followed for the development of new lung cancer during 1969–1999. One third of all lung cancers were of the squamous cell type, whereas the adenocarcinoma and small cell types accounted for less than 20% each. Radiation risks of lung cancer among men increased significantly with increasing radon exposure for all cell types, with the highest risks estimated for small cell and squamous cell lung cancers.
Risks of incident lung cancer in male workers increased significantly with increasing radon exposure, with no indication of curvature or differences in dose response between histologic types. The highest risks were observed for the small cell and squamous cell types of lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia B Zablotska
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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Health Effects of Natural Environmental Radiation during Burning Season in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12060853. [PMID: 35743884 PMCID: PMC9227549 DOI: 10.3390/life12060853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper presents the first measurement of the investigation of the health impacts of indoor radon exposure and external dose from terrestrial radiation in Chiang Mai province during the dry season burning between 2018 and 2020. Indoor radon activity concentrations were carried out using a total of 220 RADUET detectors in 45 dwellings of Chiang Mai (7 districts) during burning and non-burning seasons. Results show that indoor radon activity concentration during the burning season (63 ± 33 Bq/m3) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) compared to the non-burning season (46 ± 19 Bq/m3), with an average annual value of 55 ± 28 Bq/m3. All values of indoor radon activity concentration were greater than the national (16 Bq/m3) and worldwide (39 Bq/m3) average values. In addition, the external dose from terrestrial radiation was measured using a car-borne survey during the burning season in 2018. The average absorbed rate in the air was 66 nGy/h, which is higher than the worldwide average value of 59 nGy/h. This might be due to the high activity concentrations of 238U and 323Th in the study area. With regards to the health risk assessment, the effective dose due to indoor radon exposure, external (outdoor) effective dose, and total annual effective dose were 1.6, 0.08, and 1.68 mSv/y, respectively. The total annual effective dose is higher than the worldwide average of 1.15 mSv/y. The excess lifetime cancer risk and radon-induced lung cancer risk during the burning season were 0.67% and 28.44 per million persons per year, respectively. Our results substantiate that indoor radon and natural radioactive elements in the air during the burning season are important contributors to the development of lung cancer.
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Richardson DB, Rage E, Demers PA, Do MT, Fenske N, Deffner V, Kreuzer M, Samet J, Bertke SJ, Kelly-Reif K, Schubauer-Berigan MK, Tomasek L, Zablotska LB, Wiggins C, Laurier D. Lung Cancer and Radon: Pooled Analysis of Uranium Miners Hired in 1960 or Later. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:57010. [PMID: 35604341 PMCID: PMC9126132 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite reductions in exposure for workers and the general public, radon remains a leading cause of lung cancer. Prior studies of underground miners depended heavily upon information on deaths among miners employed in the early years of mine operations when exposures were high and tended to be poorly estimated. OBJECTIVES To strengthen the basis for radiation protection, we report on the follow-up of workers employed in the later periods of mine operations for whom we have more accurate exposure information and for whom exposures tended to be accrued at intensities that are more comparable to contemporary settings. METHODS We conducted a pooled analysis of cohort studies of lung cancer mortality among 57,873 male uranium miners in Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, and the United States, who were first employed in 1960 or later (thereby excluding miners employed during the periods of highest exposure and focusing on miners who tend to have higher quality assessments of radon progeny exposures). We derived estimates of excess relative rate per 100 working level months (ERR/100 WLM) for mortality from lung cancer. RESULTS The analysis included 1.9 million person-years of observation and 1,217 deaths due to lung cancer. The relative rate of lung cancer increased in a linear fashion with cumulative exposure to radon progeny (ERR/100 WLM = 1.33 ; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.88). The association was modified by attained age, age at exposure, and annual exposure rate; for attained ages < 55 y , the ERR/100 WLM was 8.38 (95% CI: 3.30, 18.99) among miners who were exposed at ≥ 35 years of age and at annual exposure rates of < 0.5 working levels. This association decreased with older attained ages, younger ages at exposure, and higher exposure rates. DISCUSSION Estimates of association between radon progeny exposure and lung cancer mortality among relatively contemporary miners are coherent with estimates used to inform current protection guidelines. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10669.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Estelle Rage
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | | | - Minh T. Do
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nora Fenske
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Munich (Neuherberg), Germany
| | - Veronika Deffner
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Munich (Neuherberg), Germany
| | - Michaela Kreuzer
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Munich (Neuherberg), Germany
| | | | - Stephen J. Bertke
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Kaitlin Kelly-Reif
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Mary K. Schubauer-Berigan
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | | | | | - Charles Wiggins
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- New Mexico Tumor Registry, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Dominique Laurier
- Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
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Pepperosa A, Remetti R, Perondi F. ARMAX Forecast Model for Estimating the Annual radon Activity Concentration in Confined Environment by Short Measurements Performed by Active Detectors. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095229. [PMID: 35564622 PMCID: PMC9104486 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This work aims to implement a forecast model that, combined with the use of active instrumentation for a rather limited time, and with the knowledge of a set of data referring to the environmental parameters of the place to be monitored, can estimate the concentration of indoor radon activity for longer time periods. This model has been built through the MATLAB program, exploiting the theories of time series and, in particular, ARMAX models, to reproduce the variation in the concentration of radon activity. The model validation has been carried out by comparing real vs. simulated values. In addition, analytic treatment of input data, such as temperature, pressure, and relative humidity, can reduce the influence of sudden transients allowing for better stability of the model. The final goal is to estimate the annual radon activity concentration on the basis of spot measurements carried out by active instrumentation, such to avoid the need to measure for an entire calendar year by the use of passive detectors. The first experimental results obtained in conjunction with active radon measurement demonstrates the applicability of the method not only for forecasting future average concentrations, but also for optimizing remedial actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Pepperosa
- CAEN SpA/Spectroscopy Division, Nuclear Waste Management (NWM), Decommissioning and Dismalting (D&D), Via della Vetraia 11, 55049 Viareggio Lucca, Italy;
| | - Romolo Remetti
- Department Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering, Energetic and Nuclear Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa 14, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Francesca Perondi
- Department Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering, Energetic and Nuclear Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa 14, 00161 Rome, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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Hu J, Wu Y, Saputra MA, Song Y, Yang G, Tokonami S. Radiation exposure due to 222Rn, 220Rn and their progenies in three metropolises in China and Japan with different air quality levels. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2022; 244-245:106830. [PMID: 35124392 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Radiation exposure due to radon contributes most of the ionizing radiation exposure to people among natural radiation sources. This research measured the 222Rn, 220Rn by the RADUET and their progeny concentrations by the improved deposition based 222Rn and 220Rn progeny monitor, and the contribution of outdoor PM2.5 concentrations to indoors by a modified steady-state mass balance model in Beijing, Changchun, China and Aomori, Japan. Based on these results, we preliminarily explored the relevance between the city level outdoor PM2.5 exposure and indoor 222Rn, 220Rn inhalation exposure in these three metropolises with different air quality levels. The average equilibrium equivalent radon concentration (EERC) and equilibirum equivalent thoron concentration (EETC) indoor were 17.2 and 1.1 Bq m-3 in Beijing, 19.4 and 1.3 Bq m-3 in Changchun, and 10.8 and 0.9 Bq m-3 in Aomori, respectively. The indoor EERC and EETC in Beijing showed 1.4 and 2.2 times as high as that measured in 2006. The indoor radiation dose due to inhalation presented in a descending order as Changchun, Beijing and Aomori, which were in accordance with their outdoor 222Rn concentrations. The indoor radiation doses due to 220Rn contributed 30% of the total dose in the three cities, indicating that 220Rn cannot be neglected when evaluating indoor radiation dose. It should be noted that, the indoor PM2.5 concentrations of outdoor origin presented strong correlation (r = 0.772) with indoor EETC and moderate correlation (r = 0.663) with indoor EERC, indicating that the PM2.5 of outdoor origin can break the concentration balance of the indoor PM2.5, then affect the indoor 222Rn and 220Rn behaviors, and further affect the inhalation exposure of radon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Hu
- Department of Radiation Measurement and Physical Dosimetry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan; Department of Radiation Science, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan; Center for Environmental Remote Sensing, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan.
| | - Yunyun Wu
- National Institute for Radiological Protection, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Xinkang Street, Dewai, Beijing, 100088, China
| | - Miki Arian Saputra
- Center for Nuclear Minerals Technology, National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia, Jl. Ps. Jumat, Lebak Bulus Raya No. 9, Cilandak, Jakarta Selatan, 12440, Indonesia
| | - Yanchao Song
- National Institute for Radiological Protection, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Xinkang Street, Dewai, Beijing, 100088, China
| | - Guosheng Yang
- National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Shinji Tokonami
- Department of Radiation Measurement and Physical Dosimetry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8564, Japan.
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Lee CW, Kim HR. SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION ANALYSIS AND DOSE ASSESSMENT OF THE RADON EMITTED FROM THE MONAZITE-CONTAINING MATTRESS IN GENERAL RESIDENTIAL SPACE BY CFD METHODS. RADIATION PROTECTION DOSIMETRY 2022; 198:8-15. [PMID: 35021229 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncab181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Recently, mattresses produced from radon-emitting monazite raw materials in the manufacturing process were found to be releasing radon, and a survey by the Korean Nuclear Safety and Security Commission indicated that some of these products exceeded safety standards. In this study, the distribution of the radon resulting from radon-emitting mattresses was evaluated. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code FLUENT was used to analyze the distribution of radon in a general living space, and to assess the exposures of residents. Drawings from the Korea Land and Housing Corporation were analyzed to determine the layout and geometry of the general residential space. Based on the results of the CFD simulation, the distribution of radon in the general residential space was analyzed based on the direction of ventilation and distance from the source. The dose was evaluated to analyze the radiological safety, and was determined to be less than 0.101 mSv per year. These results were in accordance with the reference level of 10 mSv from the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendation and the annual dose limit of 1 mSv per year for processed products in South Korea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Choong Wie Lee
- Integrated Radwaste Management Team, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon 34057 South Korea
| | - Hee Reyoung Kim
- Department of Nuclear Energy, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919 South Korea
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La Verde G, Artiola V, La Commara M, D’Avino V, Angrisani L, Sabatino G, Pugliese M. COVID-19 and the Additional Radiological Risk during the Lockdown Period in the Province of Naples City (South Italy). Life (Basel) 2022; 12:246. [PMID: 35207532 PMCID: PMC8874998 DOI: 10.3390/life12020246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The lockdown restrictions, as a first solution to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, have affected everyone's life and habits, including the time spent at home. The latter factor has drawn attention to indoor air quality and the impact on human health, particularly for chemical pollutants. This study investigated how the increasing time indoor influenced exposure to natural radioactive substances, such as radon gas. To calculate the radiological risk, we considered the most consolidated indices used for radiation protection: annual effective dose, excess lifetime cancer risk, and the lung cancer case. Furthermore, two different exposure times were considered: pre-lockdown and post-lockdown. The lockdown increased the indoor exposure time by 4% and, consequently, the radiological risk factors by 9%. Furthermore, the reference value of 300 Bq/m3, considered acceptable for human radiation protection, may need to be lowered further in the case of conditions similar to those of the lockdown period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe La Verde
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Via Cinthia ed. 6, 80126 Naples, Italy; (M.L.C.); (V.D.); (M.P.)
- Department of Physics “E. Pancini”, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia ed. 6, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Artiola
- Centre for Advanced Metrology and Technological Services (CeSMA), University of Naples Federico II, Corso Nicolangelo Protopisani, 80146 Naples, Italy; (V.A.); (G.S.)
| | - Marco La Commara
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Via Cinthia ed. 6, 80126 Naples, Italy; (M.L.C.); (V.D.); (M.P.)
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano, 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Vittoria D’Avino
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Via Cinthia ed. 6, 80126 Naples, Italy; (M.L.C.); (V.D.); (M.P.)
- Department of Physics “E. Pancini”, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia ed. 6, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Leopoldo Angrisani
- Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio, 21, 80125 Naples, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Sabatino
- Centre for Advanced Metrology and Technological Services (CeSMA), University of Naples Federico II, Corso Nicolangelo Protopisani, 80146 Naples, Italy; (V.A.); (G.S.)
| | - Mariagabriella Pugliese
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Via Cinthia ed. 6, 80126 Naples, Italy; (M.L.C.); (V.D.); (M.P.)
- Department of Physics “E. Pancini”, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia ed. 6, 80126 Naples, Italy
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Mertes F, Röttger S, Röttger A. Development of 222Rn Emanation Sources with Integrated Quasi 2π Active Monitoring. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:840. [PMID: 35055665 PMCID: PMC8776009 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19020840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this work, a novel approach for the standardization of low-level 222Rn emanation is presented. The technique is based on the integration of a 222Rn source, directly, with an α-particle detector, which allows the residual 222Rn to be continuously monitored. Preparation of the device entails thermal physical vapor deposition of 226RaCl2 directly onto the surface of a commercially available ion implanted Si-diode detector, resulting in a thin-layer geometry. This enables continuous collection of well resolved α-particle spectra of the nuclei, decaying within the deposited layer, with a detection efficiency of approximately 0.5 in a quasi 2π geometry. The continuously sampled α-particle spectra are used to derive the emanation by statistical inversion. It is possible to achieve this with high temporal resolution due to the small background and the high counting efficiency of the presented technique. The emanation derived in this way exhibits a dependence on the relative humidity of up to 15% in the range from 20% rH to 90% rH. Traceability to the SI is provided by employing defined solid-angle α-particle spectrometry to characterize the counting efficiency of the modified detectors. The presented technique is demonstrated to apply to a range covering the release of at least 1 to 210 222Rn atoms per second, and it results in SI-traceable emanation values with a combined standard uncertainty not exceeding 2%. This provides a pathway for the realization of reference atmospheres covering typical environmental 222Rn levels and thus drastically improves the realization and the dissemination of the derived unit of the activity concentration concerning 222Rn in air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Mertes
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, National Metrology Institute, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany; (S.R.); (A.R.)
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Rizzo A, Cardellini F, Poggi C, Borra E, Ciciani L, Narici L, Sperandio L, Vilardi I. Novel Algorithm for Radon Real-Time Measurements with a Pixelated Detector. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22020516. [PMID: 35062477 PMCID: PMC8780917 DOI: 10.3390/s22020516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, radon gas exposure is considered one of the main health concerns for the population because, by carrying about half the total dose due to environmental radioactivity, it is the second cause of lung cancer after smoking. Due to a relatively long half-life of 3.82 days, the chemical inertia and since its parent Ra-226 is largely diffuse on the earth’s crust and especially in the building materials, radon can diffuse and potentially saturate human habitats, with a concentration that can suddenly change during the 24 h day depending on temperature, pressure, and relative humidity. For such reasons, ‘real-time’ measurements performed by an active detector, possibly of small dimensions and a handy configuration, can play an important role in evaluating the risk and taking the appropriate countermeasures to mitigate it. In this work, a novel algorithm for pattern recognition was developed to exploit the potentialities of silicon active detectors with a pixel matrix structure to measure radon through the α emission, in a simple measurement configuration, where the device is placed directly in air with no holder, no collection filter or electrostatic field to drift the radon progenies towards the detector active area. This particular measurement configuration (dubbed as bare) requires an α/β-discrimination method that is not based on spectroscopic analysis: as the gas surrounds the detector the α particles are emitted at different distances from it, so they lose variable energy amount in air depending on the traveled path-length which implies a variable deposited energy in the active area. The pixels matrix structure allows overcoming this issue because the interaction of α, β and γ particles generate in the active area of the detector clusters (group of pixels where a signal is read) of different shape and energy dispersion. The novel algorithm that exploits such a phenomenon was developed using a pixelated silicon detector of the TimePix family with a compact design. An α
(Am-241) and a β (Sr-90) source were used to calibrate the algorithm and to evaluate its performances in terms of β rejection capability and α recognition efficiency. Successively, the detector was exposed to different radon concentrations at the ENEA-INMRI radon facility in ‘bare’ configuration, in order to check the linearity of the device response over a radon concentration range. The results for this technique are presented and discussed, highlighting the potential applications especially the possibility to exploit small and handy detectors to perform radon active measurements in the simplest configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Rizzo
- Radiation Protection Institute (IRP)—Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy; (E.B.); (L.C.); (L.S.); (I.V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Francesco Cardellini
- National Institute of Ionizing Radiation Metrology (INMRI)—Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy;
| | - Claudio Poggi
- Radiation Protection Institute (IRP)—Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Enrico Fermi 45, 00044 Rome, Italy;
| | - Enrico Borra
- Radiation Protection Institute (IRP)—Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy; (E.B.); (L.C.); (L.S.); (I.V.)
| | - Luca Ciciani
- Radiation Protection Institute (IRP)—Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy; (E.B.); (L.C.); (L.S.); (I.V.)
| | - Livio Narici
- Physics Department, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via Della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Luciano Sperandio
- Radiation Protection Institute (IRP)—Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy; (E.B.); (L.C.); (L.S.); (I.V.)
| | - Ignazio Vilardi
- Radiation Protection Institute (IRP)—Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy; (E.B.); (L.C.); (L.S.); (I.V.)
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Abergel R, Aris J, Bolch WE, Dewji SA, Golden A, Hooper DA, Margot D, Menker CG, Paunesku T, Schaue D, Woloschak GE. The enduring legacy of Marie Curie: impacts of radium in 21st century radiological and medical sciences. Int J Radiat Biol 2022; 98:267-275. [PMID: 35030065 PMCID: PMC9723808 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2022.2027542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This review is focused on radium and radionuclides in its decay chain in honor of Marie Curie, who discovered this element. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conglomerated current knowledge regarding radium and its history predating our present understanding of this radionuclide. RESULTS An overview of the properties of radium and its dose assessment is shown followed by discussions about both the negative detrimental and positive therapeutic applications of radium with this history and its evolution reflecting current innovations in medical science. CONCLUSIONS We hope to remind all those who are interested in the progress of science about the vagaries of the process of scientific discovery. In addition, we raise the interesting question of whether Marie Curie's initial success was in part possible due to her tight alignment with her husband Pierre Curie who pushed the work along.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Abergel
- Nuclear Engineering Department, University of California, Berkeley; Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - John Aris
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Wesley E. Bolch
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Shaheen A. Dewji
- Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Programs, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Ashley Golden
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - David A. Hooper
- Nuclear Nonproliferation Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Dmitri Margot
- Nuclear and Radiological Engineering and Medical Physics Programs, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Carly G. Menker
- Departments of Radiation Oncology, Radiology, and Cell and Molecular Biology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Tatjana Paunesku
- Departments of Radiation Oncology, Radiology, and Cell and Molecular Biology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Dörthe Schaue
- Department of Radiation Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gayle E. Woloschak
- Departments of Radiation Oncology, Radiology, and Cell and Molecular Biology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA,Corresponding Author:
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Teiri H, Nazmara S, Abdolahnejad A, Hajizadeh Y, Amin MM. Indoor radon measurement in buildings of a university campus in central Iran and estimation of its effective dose and health risk assessment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 2021; 19:1643-1652. [PMID: 34900295 PMCID: PMC8617095 DOI: 10.1007/s40201-021-00720-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Indoor radon is a serious health concern and contributes about 10% of deaths from lung cancer in the USA and Europe. In this study, radon and thoron levels of 20 multi-floor buildings on the campus of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences were measured in cold and hot seasons of a year. SARAD- RTM1688 radon and thoron monitor was used for measurement. The annual effective dose of radon exposure was also estimated for residences on the campus. The results showed that radon concentration was below the WHO guideline (100 Bq m- 3) in most of the buildings. The ranges of radon were from 3 ± 10% to 322 ± 15% Bq m- 3 in winter and from below the detectable level to 145 ± 8% Bq m- 3 in summer. Mostly, the radon concentration in the basement or ground floors was higher than upper floors, however, exceptions were observed in some locations. For thoron, no special trends were observed, and in the majority of buildings, its concentration was below the detectable level. However, in a few locations besides radon, thoron was also measured at a high level during both seasons. The average annual effective dose via radon exposure was estimated to be 0.261 ± 0.339 mSv y- 1. The mean excess lung cancer risk (ELCR) was estimated to be 0.10%. It was concluded that indoor air ventilation, buildings' flooring and construction materials, along with the geological structure of the ground could be the factors influencing the radon concentration inside the buildings. Thus, some applicable radon prevention and mitigation techniques were suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakimeh Teiri
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Shahrokh Nazmara
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Abdolahnejad
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh, Iran
| | - Yaghoub Hajizadeh
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mehdi Amin
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Hofmann W, Lettner H, Hubmer A. Dosimetric Comparison of Exposure Pathways to Human Organs and Tissues in Radon Therapy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:10870. [PMID: 34682614 PMCID: PMC8535235 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Three therapeutic applications are presently prescribed in the radon spas in Gastein, Austria: exposure to radon in a thermal bath, exposure to radon vapor in an exposure chamber (vapor bath), and exposure to radon in the thermal gallery, a former mine. The radiological exposure pathways to human organs and tissues in these therapeutic radon applications are inhalation of radon and radon progeny via the lungs, radon transfer from water or air through the skin, and radon-progeny deposition on the skin in water or air. The objectives of the present study were to calculate radon and radon-progeny doses for selected organs and tissues for the different exposure pathways and therapeutic applications. Doses incurred in red bone marrow, liver, kidneys, and Langerhans cells in the skin may be correlated with potential therapeutic benefits, while doses to the lungs and the basal cells of the skin indicate potential carcinogenic effects. The highest organ doses among the three therapeutic applications were produced in the thermal gallery by radon progeny via inhalation, with lung doses of 5.0 mSv, and attachment to the skin, with skin doses of 4.4 mSv, while the radon contribution was less significant. For comparison, the primary exposure pathways in the thermal bath are the radon uptake through the skin, with lung doses of 334 μSv, and the radon-progeny attachment to the skin, with skin doses of 216 μSv, while the inhalation route can safely be neglected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Werner Hofmann
- Biological Physics, Department of Chemistry and Physics of Materials, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Str. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (H.L.); (A.H.)
| | - Herbert Lettner
- Biological Physics, Department of Chemistry and Physics of Materials, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Str. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (H.L.); (A.H.)
- Radiological Measurement Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Physics of Materials, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Str. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Alexander Hubmer
- Biological Physics, Department of Chemistry and Physics of Materials, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Str. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (H.L.); (A.H.)
- Radiological Measurement Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Physics of Materials, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Str. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
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Chromosome Aberrations in Lymphocytes of Patients Undergoing Radon Spa Therapy: An Explorative mFISH Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182010757. [PMID: 34682498 PMCID: PMC8535331 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
In the present exploratory study, we aim to elucidate the action of radon in vivo and to assess the possible health risks. Chromosome aberrations were analyzed in lymphocytes of two patients (P1, P2) undergoing radon spa therapy in Bad Steben (Germany). Both patients, suffering from painful chronic degenerative disorders of the spine and joints, received nine baths (1.2 kBq/L at 34 °C) over a 3-week period. Chromosome aberrations were analyzed before and 6, 12 and 30 weeks after the start of therapy using the high-resolution multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization (mFISH) technique. For comparison, the lymphocytes from two healthy donors (HD1, HD2) were examined. P1 had a higher baseline aberration frequency than P2 and both healthy donors (5.3 ± 1.3 vs. 2.0 ± 0.8, 1.4 ± 0.3 and 1.1 ± 0.1 aberrations/100 analyzed metaphases, respectively). Complex aberrations, biomarkers of densely ionizing radiation, were found in P1, P2 and HD1. Neither the aberration frequency nor the fraction of complex aberrations increased after radon spa treatment, i.e., based on biological dosimetry, no increased health risk was found. It is worth noting that a detailed breakpoint analysis revealed potentially clonal aberrations in both patients. Altogether, our data show pronounced inter-individual differences with respect to the number and types of aberrations, complicating the risk analysis of low doses such as those received during radon therapy.
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Dvorzhak A, Mora JC, Real A, Sainz C, Fuente I. General model for estimation of indoor radon concentration dynamics. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:54085-54095. [PMID: 34046829 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14422-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A known relationship exists between high radon concentrations and lung cancer, and therefore, the indoor radon quantification is important, and it is beneficial to have a model to estimate indoor concentration. The work is focused on the development of an INDORAD (INDOor RAdon Dynamic) model for estimation of indoor radon dynamics, with time-dependent meteorological parameters and adjustable soil and building properties being considered. This model is based on a systemic approach, where the flows of material between compartments are considered, without a spatial resolution. This approach allowed to simplify the mathematical processing and enabled to consider together all known sources of indoor radon. The developed model was put in use in a laboratory building where soil constitutes major source of radon. The results (radon concentrations) from the model were compared to an existing data set from Saelices el Chico in a soil with high concentration of 226Ra. The outcome of the validation implies that INDORAD could predict radon concentrations satisfactorily. Suggestions for future updates of the model to improve indoor radon estimations are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla Dvorzhak
- Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment Unit, CIEMAT, Av. Complutense 40, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Juan Carlos Mora
- Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment Unit, CIEMAT, Av. Complutense 40, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Almudena Real
- Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment Unit, CIEMAT, Av. Complutense 40, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Sainz
- Radon Group, University of Cantabria, C/Cardenal Herrera Oria s/n, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Ismael Fuente
- Radon Group, University of Cantabria, C/Cardenal Herrera Oria s/n, 39011, Santander, Spain
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Usta M. Continuous slowing-down approximation ranges of biological materials for 0.05-10 MeV alpha particles by using different approach methods. Appl Radiat Isot 2021; 178:109951. [PMID: 34537564 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to calculate the range values of alpha particles in bone, MS20 tissue substitute, and muscle targets using different approach methods. The range values were calculated using Gauss quadrature, Simpson 1/3, and trapezoidal numerical integration methods in continuous slowing-down approximation (CSDA). Overall, the Gauss quadrature method gave the best CSDA range values for the target materials. These results will be conducive to studies involving the interaction of radiation with biological materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Metin Usta
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Mustafa Kemal University, 31034, Hatay, Turkey.
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Reddy BL, Reddy GS, Reddy KVK, Reddy BS. Inhalation dose due to residential radon and thoron exposure in rural areas: a case study at Erravalli and Narasannapet model villages of Telangana state, India. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2021; 60:437-445. [PMID: 33948689 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-021-00912-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to indoor radon has been identified as a cause of lung cancer. The corresponding inhalation radiation dose received is an important parameter in estimating the risk of cancer due to the inhalation of radon. The present investigation is aimed at the estimation of the radiation dose due to radon, its isotopes, and progeny to the public residing in dwellings constructed in model villages of Telangana state, India. The indoor activity concentrations of radon and thoron were measured using pin-hole dosimeters. The measured activities along with appropriate dose conversion and occupancy factors were used in the estimation of the dose received by the dwellers. The doses estimated were compared with those to inhabitants of control dwellings. The estimated doses received by the public due to radon were found to be 1.54 ± 0.60 mSv and 1.51 ± 1.20 mSv, in the investigated model houses and in the control dwellings, respectively. Correspondingly, radiation doses due to thoron were found to be 1.08 ± 0.81 mSv and 1.44 ± 1.04 mSv, respectively. It is concluded that the model dwellings pose no extra radiation burden to the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Linga Reddy
- Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology, Gandipet, Hyderabad, 500075, India
| | - G Srinivas Reddy
- Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technology, Gandipet, Hyderabad, 500075, India
| | - K Vinay Kumar Reddy
- Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology, Gandipet, Hyderabad, 500075, India
| | - B Sreenivasa Reddy
- Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology, Gandipet, Hyderabad, 500075, India.
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Soil gas radon and soil permeability assessment: Mapping radon risk areas in Perak State, Malaysia. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254099. [PMID: 34320010 PMCID: PMC8318270 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study geogenic radon potential (GRP) mapping was carried out on the bases of field radon in soil gas concentration and soil gas permeability measurements by considering the corresponding geological formations. The spatial pattern of soil gas radon concentration, soil permeability, and GRP and the relationship between geological formations and these parameters was studied by performing detailed spatial analysis. The radon activity concentration in soil gas ranged from 0.11 to 434.5 kBq m−3 with a mean of 18.96 kBq m−3, and a standard deviation was 55.38 kBq m−3. The soil gas permeability ranged from 5.2×10−14 to 5.2×10−12 m2, with a mean of 5.65×10−13 m2. The GRP values were computed from the 222Rn activity concentration and soil gas permeability data. The range of GRP values was from 0.04 to 154.08. Locations on igneous granite rock geology were characterized by higher soil radon gas activity and higher GRP, making them radon-prone areas according to international standards. The other study locations fall between the low to medium risk, except for areas with high soil permeability, which are not internationally classified as radon prone. A GRP map was created displaying radon-prone areas for the study location using Kriging/Cokriging, based on in situ and predicted measured values. The GRP map assists in human health risk assessment and risk reduction since it indicates the potential of the source of radon and can serve as a vital tool for radon combat planning.
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50
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Lopes SI, Nunes LJR, Curado A. Designing an Indoor Radon Risk Exposure Indicator (IRREI): An Evaluation Tool for Risk Management and Communication in the IoT Age. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:7907. [PMID: 34360202 PMCID: PMC8345734 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18157907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The explosive data growth in the current information age requires consistent new methodologies harmonized with the new IoT era for data analysis in a space-time context. Moreover, intuitive data visualization is a central feature in exploring, interpreting, and extracting specific insights for subsequent numerical data representation. This integrated process is normally based on the definition of relevant metrics and specific performance indicators, both computed upon continuous real-time data, considering the specificities of a particular application case for data validation. This article presents an IoT-oriented evaluation tool for Radon Risk Management (RRM), based on the design of a simple and intuitive Indoor Radon Risk Exposure Indicator (IRREI), specifically tailored to be used as a decision-making aid tool for building owners, building designers, and buildings managers, or simply as an alert flag for the problem awareness of ordinary citizens. The proposed methodology was designed for graphic representation aligned with the requirements of the current IoT age, i.e., the methodology is robust enough for continuous data collection with specific Spatio-temporal attributes and, therefore, a set of adequate Radon risk-related metrics can be extracted and proposed. Metrics are summarized considering the application case, taken as a case study for data validation, by including relevant variables to frame the study, such as the regulatory International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) dosimetric limits, building occupancy (spatial dimension), and occupants' exposure periods (temporal dimension). This work has the following main contributions: (1) providing a historical perspective regarding RRM indicator evolution along time; (2) outlining both the formulation and the validation of the proposed IRREI indicator; (3) implementing an IoT-oriented methodology for an RRM indicator; and (4) a discussion on Radon risk public perception, undertaken based on the results obtained after assessment of the IRREI indicator by applying a screening questionnaire with a total of 873 valid answers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio Ivan Lopes
- ADiT-Lab, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua da Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun’Alvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal
- IT—Instituto de Telecomunicações, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Leonel J. R. Nunes
- PROMETHEUS, Unidade de Investigação em Materiais, Energia e Ambiente para a Sustentabilidade, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua da Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun’Alvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal;
| | - António Curado
- PROMETHEUS, Unidade de Investigação em Materiais, Energia e Ambiente para a Sustentabilidade, Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua da Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun’Alvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal;
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