RE: Radon - recent articles supporting risk at residentialexposures

["Michael Ford" <MFORD@PANTEX.COM>]

OR NOT.  Nice try, John.



<snip>

Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2001;97(1):69-73 

Biomarkers specific to densely-ionising (high LET) radiations.

Brenner DJ, Okladnikova N, Hande P, Burak L, Geard CR, Azizova T.



There have been several suggestions of biomarkers that are specific 

to high LET radiation .....

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This does not support your claim.  It only addresses the stability of a promising analytical method.



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...CA Cancer J Clin 2001 Nov-Dec;51(6):337-44, 322; quiz 345-8   

Radon.

Frumkin H, Samet JM.

......

Residential and occupational exposure to radon is the second leading 

cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. 

<snip>



Unproven back-fitted hypothesis.



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....As many as eight million homes in the US have elevated radon levels according to 

Environmental Protection Agency estimates. 

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No doubt radon has been measured in homes at various levels, some higher than others, but the EPA's standard of "elevated" does not hold water.  John, go back and look at how the EPA first set this level.  The only science involved with setting that limit was the lower level of sensitivity of the measurement equipment.



<snip>

...Radon: a likely carcinogen at all exposures.

Darby S, Hill D, Doll R.

......

BACKGROUND: Radon is a well-established lung carcinogen that has been 

extensively studied. 

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"Well-established lung carcinogen"?  Well, maybe if you say it enough, you eventually create fact.  Is that how science works?  Kind of like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz saying "There's no place like home."



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...Very high concentrations can occur in some underground mines. Concentrations also tend to build up in homes. 

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Wow, actually a shred of truth!



<snip>

....MATERIALS AND METHODS: Epidemiological studies of radon-exposed miners and of residential radon and lung cancer are reviewed. Quantitative estimates of the risk of lung cancer, based on the experience of the miners, are applied to residential radon exposures in the United Kingdom. Strategies for the prevention of lung cancer 

induced by residential radon are discussed. RESULTS: Estimates are uncertain, but ...

<snip>



Oops!  There we go again.  Miner studies typically had very few measurements that can correlate well with actual exposures.  Some studies had one or two measurements over the span of many years.  There was NO controlling for other exposures to lung carcinogens that would have contributed significantly to the health of the individual.  All lung cancers were attributed to ESTIMATED radon exposures.  Extrapolating these ASSUMED risks down to the residential concentrations adds no validity the exercise.





<snip> 

....CONCLUSIONS: Further work is needed to obtain more reliable estimates of the risk of lung cancer associated with residential radon and on the cost-effectiveness of various 

intervention strategies before the most appropriate policies can be developed for managing exposure to this natural carcinogen.

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Translation.... send in your paycheck.  We need to study this radon thing for a few more years or at least until we can retire...  John, why don't you do a literature search on the Russian RADON hospitals.



<snip>

...Phys Med 2001;17 Suppl 1:157-60 Books 

The role of promotion in carcinogenesis from protracted high-LET exposure.

Curtis SB, Luebeck EG, Hazelton WD, Moolgavkar SH.

.....

Recent analysis of epidemiological studies using the two-stage clonal 

expansion (TSCE) model has shown that radiation-induced promotion 

dominates radiation-induced initiation for protracted exposures to 

radon....

<snip>



This looks to be a review of the existing studies that attempt to make a leap from single cell effects to carcinogenesis... although space "zoomies" are certainly more of an issue than radon ... that is, for astronauts.



<snip>

...Rev Environ Health 2001 Jul-Sep;16(3):151-67 Books 

A review of residential radon case-control epidemiologic studies performed in the United States.

Field RW.

...

Two studies (Missouri-II and Iowa) that incorporated 

enhanced dose estimates produced the most compelling evidence 

suggesting an association between prolonged residential radon 

exposure and lung cancer....

<snip>



Bravo, Bill!  I admire you for still maintaining an objective, scientific approach to your work despite all of the EPA hullabaloo.



<snip>

 ....The prevailing evidence suggests that the statistically significant findings may be related to improved retrospective radon exposure estimates. The general findings from the U.S. studies, along with extrapolations from radon-exposed underground miners, support the conclusion that after cigarette smoking, prolonged residential radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the general population.

<snip>



There is no possible way to use miner studies to make that leap.  Without that, the studies don't possess enough statistical power to show cause and effect.  Again, folks there are subpopulations in the world that look to radon as a healing agent at concentrations far above EPA levels.  Some radon administration takes place in clinical environments.  I have heard enough from ex-EPA staffers to know that all of this supposed research only supports EPA's bureaucracy-building efforts.



Have a great day!

Michael

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