Dose to the lungs from radon progeny in cigarette smokers.

[John Cameron <jrcamero@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

Title: Dose to the lungs from radon progeny in cigarette smok

The ACR publication (1996) Radiation Risk:  a Primer gives two values for the dose to the lungs from smoking: 16,000 millirem/yr in the article by Don Tolbert and 8,000 millirem/yr in an appendix. Even when you use a 0.12 WT value, it still an effective dose 3 to 6 times larger than the typical effective dose from background, most of which is due to radon progeny in the air. Why do you suppose nobody mentions the dose from smoking? Any other source of radiation to the public much lower than that would be considered a serious radiation hazard. Best wishes,  John Cameron

> In a message dated 1/9/02 3:32:16 PM Mountain
>
> Standard Time, JohnWi@law.com writes:
>
>
>
> > ,  recall that the
> >
> > overall effective dose from radon is reduced when the radon
> >
> > progeny
> >
> > attach to particulates from the tobacco smoke.

> How can this be?  If tobacco smoke is inhaled the particles are
>
> drawn into the lung alveoli.
>
> Ruth Weiner,
>
> Ph. D.
>
> ruthweiner@aol.com

--
John R. Cameron (jrcamero@facstaff.wisc.edu)
2678 SW 14th St. Gainesville, FL 32608
(352) 371-9865 Fax (352) 371-9866
(December 1, 2001 to early May 2002)

PO Box 405, Lone Rock,WI 53556
(608) 583-2160; Fax (608) 583-2269
May 2002- October 2002