Re: Radon - recent articles supporting risk at residential exposures

[RuthWeiner@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 1/6/02 5:45:15 PM Mountain Standard Time, jk5554@YAHOO.COM writes:



> on things that have been more conclusively linked to
>
> mortality, such as fine particulate matter from diesel
>
> and coal burning.  


Fine particulate matter have NOT been "conclusively" linked to mortality.  They are linked by ecological studies (e.g., Biwer and Butler, RISK ANALYSIS 1999) that apply the good old LNT to particles in coal burning power plant emissions, car exhaust and particles in crustal dust -- faactors that have pretty well established thresholds of effect. This appears to be another example of wanting the results of an "ecological" study to turn out a certain way -- it would be so nice for nukes if we could blame deaths on coal burning.  Incidentally, if we extrapolate  projected fatalities from diesel exhaust from some of these publications to any major city, people within a half-mile of any freeway or city street during rush hour would be dropping like flies!


The air pollution episodes that are correlated with excess sulfur dioxide and particulates, acting synergistically, trapped in relatively severe temperature inversions.  The culprit in the case of Donora, PA was a slag pile.  The culprit in New York in 1956 and 1957 was OIL-burning electric generation.


Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.

ruthweiner@aol.com