Evaluation of radon exposure risk and lung cancer incidence/mortality in South-eastern Italy

Indoor Radon Concentration Levels in Healthcare Settings: The Results of an Environmental Monitoring in a Large Italian University Hospital

The aim of the study is to determine the radon concentrations in the University Hospital of Bari, Apulia Region, Southern Italy. The monitoring took place from 2017 to 2018 for a total of 402 days and included 3492 premises. Radon environmental sampling was performed with passive dosimeters of the CR-39 type. The highest mean concentration was found in basement rooms (118.9 Bq/m³), followed by ground-floor rooms (88.2 Bq/m³), first-floor rooms (78.1 Bq/m³), second-floor rooms (66.7 Bq/m³), and third-floor rooms (68.9 Bq/m³). An average radon concentration lower than the WHO recommended level of 100 Bq/m³ was detected in 73.5% of monitored environments, while only 0.9% exceeded the reference level of 300 Bq/m³ set by the national law (Legislative Decree 101/2020). The frequency of environments in which radon concentrations exceed 300 Bq/m³ is significantly higher in the basement (p-value < 0.001). As for a previous preliminary investigation in the same hospital conducted on a much smaller number of premises (n = 401), most of the monitored environments had radon concentrations lower than the reference levels set by the new national law, and the risk to the healthcare workers' health derived from occupational exposure to radon could be considered acceptable.

Public awareness of environmental risk factors of cancer and attitude towards its prevention among the Lebanese general population

Introduction

Since the majority of cancers occur as a result of modifiable risk factors, cancer is being seen more as a preventable disease. The primary objective of our study was to assess the level of awareness of environmental risk factors of cancer among the Lebanese general population. The secondary objective focused on identifying the predictors of the preventability of the disease.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study between June and July 2020. An online questionnaire was used to collect data pertaining to the knowledge of environmental risk factors of cancer, source of information and personal practice of the participants. Bivariate and multivariate analyzes were performed.

Results

About 387 respondents agreed to participate in the study. The study showed low awareness regarding infectious agents, lifestyle, diet and many work exposures. The predictors of the attitude of respondents regarding the preventability of cancer were: believing that cancer has an environmental cause (p=.014), not having a healthy lifestyle (p = 0.004), not smoking waterpipe (p = 0.023), being single (p = 0.013), and having a university degree (p = 0.049).

Conclusions

Efforts should be made to improve awareness of the cancer risk factors regarding infectious agents, lifestyle, diet and many work exposures. This can also be followed by further studies assessing the impact of these community and governmental cancer prevention initiatives on cancer risk factors level of awareness.

Radon-The Element of Risk. The Impact of Radon Exposure on Human Health

Lung cancer is a heterogeneous group of diseases with multifactorial aetiology. Smoking has been undeniably recognized as the main aetiological factor in lung cancer, but it should be emphasized that it is not the only factor. It is worth noting that a number of nonsmokers also develop this disease. Radon exposure is the second greatest risk factor for lung cancer among smokers-after smoking-and the first one for nonsmokers. The knowledge about this element amongst specialist oncologists and pulmonologists seems to be very superficial. We discuss the impact of radon on human health, with particular emphasis on respiratory diseases, including lung cancer. A better understanding of the problem will increase the chance of reducing the impact of radon exposure on public health and may contribute to more effective prevention of a number of lung diseases.

Radiation Protection Legislation and Sustainable Development of a Rural Green Tuff Village of Ischia Island

Radiological risk affects the quality of the environment in buildings since population and workers can be potentially exposed to high levels of radiation. Radon gas emanating from both subsoil and building materials represents the most important source of radiation exposure for people. This study investigates the sustainability concept of a small rural village of Ischia Island, named Ciglio, in relation to radiation protection legislation concerning the radiological risk for workers. Radon activity concentration was measured in typical green-tuff dwellings and in water samples collected from a local waterfall E-Perm devices. Moreover, for green tuff as building material, the radon emanation coefficient was calculated by gamma spectroscopy. The results highlight the importance of performing environmental radon monitoring and investigating the radon content of building materials, especially in geographical areas characterized by traditional use of typical stones for constructions. In conclusion, the sustainable development of rural buildings is possible if the radiological risk for inhabitants and workers is assessed in line with the national radiation protection legislation.