more on domestic radon

["H.Wade Patterson" <hwade@talltown.com>]

Dear Radsafe Group:
As we all know, Cohen has shown a negative correlation between domestic
radon levels and lung cancer in 1601 US counties.

Ron Kathren has offered the explanation that a combination of snow and
ice cover could account for Cohen's findings.

On the other hand, Dave Scherer has offered the explanation that
systematic human migration could account for Cohen's findings.

This chain of reasoning and the two papers cited below support Kathren
and Scherer.

First:
We all know that the US population is largely from northern Europe, so
one would expect that systematic human migration would be a genetically
determined quality also found in British and French peoples.

Second:
Also, the US, Britain and France are all in the northern hemisphere so
snow and ice deposition vs. radon concentration should be similar in
each country.

Lo and behold, we find that domestic radon concentration is inversely
related to lung cancer in both Britain anf France.

Therefore, Kathren and Scherer are correct


1. Haynes, R. M. The distribution of domestic radon concentrations and
lung cancer mortality in England and Wales. Rad. Prot. Dosim., 25,
2:93-96 1988
Quoting from the Abstract:
" Using aggregate data for the counties of England and Wales, a negative
association is found between mean radon concentrations in dwellings and
lung cancer standardised mortality ratios, when regional smoking
variations, diet variations, social class variations, and population
density are controlled. Cornwall and Devon have the highest mean
domestic radon gas concentrations, yet the number of lung cancer deaths
there was within the range to be expected from relationships not
involving radon observed in the rest of the country. While high values
of radon exposure appear to concentrate in particular localities, the
variations in lung cancer mortality between districts in Cornwall and
Devon are small. These findings do not refute the linear exposure-risk
hypothesis, but the evidence suggests that relatively few, if any, radon
related deaths were associated with the dwellings where radon gas
concentrations exceeded the recommended action level."



2. Dousset, M. Radon in dwellings. Aerobiologia 6:36-38; 1990.
Summary- quoted in full
"Whereas lung cancer mortality surveys in French departments obviously
demonstrate the effect of smoking or of living in strongly
industrialized areas, the same survey does not give evidence of lung
cancer deaths increases in the departments where the radon
concentrations in dwellings are the highest."
4th paragraph-quoted in full
"In a granitic region like Limousin, the average concentration (of
radon) amounts to 175 Bq/m3, more than twice the concentration found in
a sedimentary grounds region like Poitou-Charentes. Those two regions
have very close characteristics, so a comparative study on
broncho-pulmonary mortality has been conducted; it has shown that this
mortality was significantly lower in Limousin than in Poitou-Charentes.
(Study conducted between 1968 and 1982)."

In fig.1 (the only figure), the trend for lung cancer mortality vs.
tobacco sales volume for 94 French departments is upward.
The trend for lung cancer mortality vs. radon concentration is downward.
-- 
Best wishes,

Wade

<hwade@talltown.com>

H.Wade Patterson
1116 Linda Lane
Lakeview OR 97630
ph 541 947-4974