RSH Data & Documents

"Low Level
Radiation Health
Effects: Compiling
the Data"

Revision 2
March 30, 1999
by Radiation, Science, and
Health, Inc.,
Edited by J. Muckerheide

1.2.6.3.1
Ecological Studies

"Radon exposure was shown to be carcinogenic and suggested as a possible causative factor for lung cancer in man. A hypothesis is introduced that medium high radon (between x110 and 165 Bq/m3) causes lower cancer risk among women younger than 61 years, independent of the type of cancer. The presented results verify this statement with a probability of not less than 98%."

"In 1992 elevated radon level were found in some houses in a North East Hungarian village Mátraderecske. The RAD Lauder Laboratory made an extended survey of the indoor radon activity concentrations in the last five years. During this time the cancer incidents were collected from the last 20 years."

"The radon levels are the averages of the measured yearly averages in the last five years. Age means the morbidity age of the cancer patients, and in the case of healthy people it means their age in 1988. The same results yield more information if the cancer types are also introduced (Table 2a for men and Table 2b for women). [Table 2a Not Shown - Ed.]

"It deserves attention that for the 456 women of the age group 30-60 years the cancer frequencies are 6.9% below 107 Bq/m3, 0.9% between 108-165 Bq/m3, 7.5% between 166-270 Bq/m3, 11.6% above 271 Bq/m3. The statement that there is a minimum of cancer incidence between 108 and 165 Bq/m3 for women of age 30-60 has a probability of not less than 98%.

"For a more appropriate statistical analysis the cancers in this small village were collected not only for one year, but for a longer, 23 year period."

"By this method some of the cancer patients do not meet with their real age group. Tables 3a and 3b show the number of cases and the cancer frequency with the following conditions:

four groups according to the radon level, and in each group

three subgroups give the number of

healthy people and the cancer patients: all

patients of morbidity age is below 61 years: Cyou

patients of morbidity age is above 61 years: Cold

two groups are by their birth: 1900-1930 or 1931-1950

"One can see a minimum again also by this method: the statement that the cancer frequency in the radon interval 108-165 Bq/m3 is smaller than below or above this radon level can be made with a probability of not less than 98% in the case of cancers of age group 40-60 years among women born between 1931 and 1950. In the case of men and in the case of women older than 60 years one cannot find a minimum in cancer frequency in relation to the radon level."

"Using a different method for studying lung cancer, Cohen (1992) had seen the downwards slope from 10 to about 200 Bq/m3, and Pershagen (1992, 1994) had seen the slope climbing up from about 400 Bq/m3. This means that their results do not exclude a minimum as it was found by us. Bogen (1997) demonstrates the biological plausibility of Cohen's interpretation of US lung-cancer mortality patterns on the basis of a specific, well-defined mechanism of action: nonlinear dose-response resulting from competition between: (i) extinction (via alpha-induced cell killing) within preexisting premalignant foci, and (ii) the induction of new premalignant foci. Almost all the studies concentrate on radon induced lung cancers. The correlation of other cancers with radon are mentioned in Kondo's book (1993). In Japan, in a cancer mortality survey of the Misasa spa area with high radon background, Mifune (1992) found a lower cancer risk in relation to all kinds of cancers as compared to the control area."