Radiation Exposure from Smoking -Reply

[FRAMEP@ORAU.GOV]

Wiiliam Nabor wrote, in part:

>  What, if any, is the calculated dose to the lungs
>from tobacco-induced ionizing radiation (not chemical damage, and not..

The following is from NCRP 93 "Ionizing Radiation Exposure of the
Population of the United States" 1987.  

"the annual average dose to a small region of the bronchial epithelium is
estimated to be about 0.008 Gy (0.8 rad) [see Cohen et al, Health Physics
V39 p 619 and Little et al New Eng. J.  Med. V 273 p 1343].. An upper
limit to the annual He could be obtained by multiplying by a quality factor
of 20 which would yield 160 mSv (16 rem)...applying an effective
weighting factor wt of 0.08 yeilds an effective dose equivalent of about
13 mSv (1300 mrem) for the average smoker."  It then goes on to point
out the significant uncertainties in such a calculation. In particular, the
area of the bronchial epithelium receiving this dose is very limited.

It also points out that smokers face a risk of fatal lung cancer of 3 to 9%.
Since the average smoker receives (assuming the dose estimates are
good) about 65 rem in 50 years, the risk of fatal radiation induced cancer
would be 65 rem x 5 E-4 per rem or about 3%. (NCRP 93 calculated a
lower risk from the radiation since it used a risk factor of 2 E-4 per rem).

As a somewhat related matter, there is an interesting U.S. Patent
(3,589,374) 1971 "Method of And Container for Treating Tobacco To
Reduce Alkaloid And Tar Content Thereof.

It describes a credit card sized plate containing radioactive material e.g.
uranium ore, that is placed next to cigarettes. The collection here has a
couple of different versions : the NAC Plate and the NicoClean. 

"the present invention is a method of reducing the nicotine alkaloid and
tar content of the smoke of tobacco by exposing said tobacco to weak
radiation from a radioactive material"  "another feature of the invention
worthy of mention is that the fragrance and flavor inherent in tobacco
itself are not affected by the reduction of the harmful constituents, but
are preserved with an added sense of mildness. That is to say, in
tobaccos treated according to the invention, the sensitive tongue can
sense the considerable reduction of stimulous peculiar to the presence
of nicotine."

Best [cough] [hack] wishes

Paul Frame
Professional Training Programs
ORISE
framep@orau.gov