Re: Radon Field Day (semi tongue in cheek)

[hflong@postoffice.pacbell.net]

Lung cancer investigators,

The last I looked, a "naturally" high rate of lung cancer was in New Guinea

natives, who had no smoke holes in their huts. I endorse Ruth's reminder to

look at smoking, smog and fumes before radon, except in extreme situations

like Chinese cave dwellers and miners.



Bill, my inquiry about volunteers for a placebo controlled radon study (in

which controls and subjects would have equal smoking rates) was tongue in

cheek because so difficult to design. Many competent scientists believe radon

to LESSEN lung cancer, where home concentration is about 37 Bq/m3 (1pCi/L) to

4x that, compared to lower or higher concentration. Ethics of administering

radon would be similar to testing poisonous fluoride in water or toothpaste,

or testing poisonous iodine in salt. Both have benefited greatly WHEN WE FOUND

THE BEST DOSE. They are now standard public health practice. Radon likewise?



Bill, I predict that a placebo-radon test would also establish new practices:

1, better ventilation of homes with over about 250 Bq/m3 (as in Germany now,

which Klaus Becker wants to raise to >500) but, 2, the addition of uranium ore

to the basements of homes with < 37 Bq/m3 (1 pCiL). This could reward many

health physicists and reduce the cost of health care.



Howard Long



Ruth Sponsler wrote:



> Hmmm....

>

> I see such people very often during the particular

> times when I make a purchase of gasoline.  Somehow,

> this phenomenon is associated with my car running on

> empty and needing a fillup.  :-) Hey, I use fossil

> fuels, too, or at least this thing I call my car does.

>  :-)

>

> While I'm telling the Mini-Mart clerk, "$9.01 gas over

> on pump #5," the person before me or after me in line

> is asking for a pack o' Marlboros (or whatever

> flavor), often without the gas purchase that is my

> usual sole purpose for visiting a Mini-Mart.

>

> This post is made with a bit of a dry touch humor, but

> I hope that folks get the 'point' to pay attention to

> tobacco 1st; maybe after that, think about pollutants.

>

> There are several pollutants in that list that come in

> 'front' of radon.  The first of them is 'indoor air

> pollutants.'  That is a rather vague and highly

> inclusive term that seems to mean anything from 2nd

> hand smoke (yes, I have opened many windows to let

> that icky stuff go from my air-space) to the 'smoky'

> results when someone doesn't know how to cook dinner

> (ha ha! this is directed at a certain person _not_ on

> this list!  :-)), to maybe? the formaldehyde

> emanations from new carpet and/or fresh shipments of

> new clothing to department stores - formaldehyde is

> used to keep the clothes 'fresh').  [A friend of mine

> who is a department store clerk told me about this

> one].

>

> The next one on the list is something like 'specified

> air pollutants.'  Memories of my early college years

> walking in Griffith Park (LA) come to mind...memories

> of trying to catch any sort of a decent view of Los

> Angeles from the hills above...good clear views were

> rare, except on a very windy day...'nuff said.  Later,

> I moved to the Southeast, which, overall, is blessed

> with cleaner air thanks to weather conditions and lack

> of topography (most areas) that favors inversions.

>

> Happy Friday and enjoy the beautiful May weather that

> most are having - Spring is in full bloom in the

> Southeast Mountains and nature is singing.

>

> Something strikes me as wrong when people try too much

> to fight nature.  [Yes, radon as well as other aspects

> of natural background like 'earthshine' and 'skyshine'

> _are_ a part of nature].

>

> ~Ruth 2

> [yeah, I'm related to a 2+ pack/day smoker in Ventura

> Co., CA (low radon, by the way) dec. of lung cancer

> several years ago.  I'm also owned by a nuisance cat

> ;-) who is sitting beside me now and owner of a

> clunker car.  I'm owner of a few pairs of Doc Martens

> that are slowly getting beat up from day hiking and

> also owner of a terrific, reliable used IBM PII

> computer re-sold from its erstwhile corporate

> location].  :-)

>

> --- epirad@mchsi.com wrote:

> > Howard,

> >

> > I don't think anyone wants to volunteer to get lung

> > cancer.

> >

> > Bill Field

> >

>

> __________________________________________________

> Do You Yahoo!?

> LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience

> http://launch.yahoo.com

> ************************************************************************

> You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

> send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

> radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.

> You can view the Radsafe archives at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/



************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.

You can view the Radsafe archives at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/