- To: hflong@pacbell.net
- Subject: Re: [rad-sci-l] 15th Annual Radon Conference in Berlin Oct. 22-23, 2002
- From: Prof.Dr.Klaus.Becker@t-online.de (Prof.Dr.Klaus.Becker)
- Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2002 17:30:59 +0100
- References: <184OOG-2HNt4LC@fwd07.sul.t-online.com><3DBB8E4B.A0334BDB@postoffice.pacbell.net>
Dear Howard, of course I see no problem in distributing my short, incomplete summary of some of the results presnted at this meeting. Regards. Klaus hflong@postoffice.pacbell.net schrieb: > Klaus, > May I post this on the Health Physicist chat box, radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu, > where there has been debate about Bill Field's Iowa study and Cohen's USA Lung > cancer mortality study and smoking "controls"? > > Howard Long > > "Prof.Dr.Klaus.Becker" wrote: > > > Friends, > > > > for those interested in radon, here is a brief report about the last > > two days, with about 100 experts invited by the German Ministry > > of Environment, presenting 28 papers about recent developments in > > several countries (mostly Germany, but also Chechia, Sweden, Italy, Austria, > > Switzerland, France and the U.K.). There will be proceedings - unfor- > > tunately without the sometimes very critical remarks, e.g. by K. Becker - > > published (in German) within a few months. > > > > It was essentially a meeting of those receiving funds, or who are > > commercially involved, in anti-radon research. Nevertheless, some of > > the information was of interest. To mention only a few items: > > > > 1. In Switzerland, limits of 1000 and 400 Bq/m3 for old and new buildings, > > respectively, are now legally required. ICRP, according to a new draft, > > will probably suggest 400 (2.7 times the EPA linit) for all buildings. > > Problems are caused by very large fluctuations even in small areas. > > > > 2. In Sweden, 150.000 dwellings (4 % of total) are above the 400 Bq > > limit, and 90 % of all "radon lung cancers" are among smokers (not inclu- > > ding the passive smokers). They developed a system of anti-radon con- > > struction regulations. > > > > 3. In Southern Tyrolia, Italy, 10 % of all houses are above the 400 > > limit. In nurseries up to 6.000, in residences up to 30.000 have been > > measured. No data are yet available for the vulcanic areas and the radon > > spas in Ischia, Meran, etc. > > > > 4. A French case-control epidemiological study in four regions (H. Baysson > > et al., just submitted for publication) shows that 90 % of the lung > > cancers are males, and the odds ratio shows no significant increases > > up to at least 100 Bq/m3. A pooling of 14 studies worldwide, involving > > about 10.000 cases, will take place during a meeting in Hannover > > next month. Despite the very weak data base, and with only 2 % of the > > lung cancer cases being non-smokers, the result will probably be > > an assumed LINEAR risk increase of about 9%/100 Bq/m3 (!). > > > > 5. In the Czech Republic, the classification of building sites (at > > about $ 100 each) does not seem to work very well. Above the 400 limit > > are 2-3 % of all buildings, in some areas above 20 %. About 25 % of > > all remediation efforts failed (e.g. by people switching off ventilation > > systems to save energy). In Germany, approx. 150.000 residences are > > above 400. > > > > 6. In the U.K., they permit radon in natural gas up to 4000. 220 Bq/m3 is > > equated to approx. 1 mSv/y. About 5000 working places are above the regu- > > lation values, and 200 annual deaths due to radon are estimated on the > > basis of BEIR VI. > > > > 7. In a German study involving 48.000 U miners, 500 cases of lung > > cancer have been matched with 1000 controls. However, there are > > only 9 never-smokers among the cases, but 165 among the controls. > > Up to 800 WLM, the odds ratio (excessive relative risk) did NOT increase, > > above there was some increase. Others mentioned that among the > > German U miners, radon contributed only about 7 % to the total lung > > cancer rate. > > > > 8. Regarding drinking water, 6000 Bq/l are approx. equivalent to 1 mSv/y. > > EU suggests to set some reference limit in the 100-1000 range, and > > take corrective action above 1000. The situation in the public water > > supply facilities remains complicated - values in the air up to 400.000 > > have been measured with, however, extreme fluctuations. In one low- > > level German state (Rheinland-Pfalz), only 22 % of the employees exceeeded > > the 2 mSv/y limit. General radon monitoring is becoming mandatory with > > new regulations in Germany. > > > > 9. An attractice, if slightly outdated, book "Guidance for the measurement > > of radon, thoron, and its decay products" has just been published (160 p., > > in German) by the German Radiation Protection Commission and is available > > as ISBN 3-437-21478-0. > > > > 10. I may consider, provided time is available, to publish > > a more detailed report on this and the recent radon meeting in France. > > Currently, I complete the final polishing of the review "Radon in > > Central Europe" for "Nonlinearity". > > > > Further relavant input from your side would be, as always, appreciated! > > > > Cordial regards. Klaus > > > > Klaus Becker, Boothstr. 27, D-12207 Berlin > > Phone/Fax: 0049-30-772-1284 > > > > _______________________________________________ > > rad-sci-l mailing list > > rad-sci-l@ans.ep.wisc.edu > > http://ans.ep.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-sci-l > Klaus Becker, Boothstr. 27, D-12207 Berlin Phone/Fax: 0049-30-772-1284