Lab researchers uncover new effects of radon

[Jim Muckerheide <muckerheide@mediaone.net>]

Radsafers,

Another take on the subject from a correspondent:

Regards, Jim Muckerheide
jmuckerheide@delphi.com
========================

   There was an article in the Albuquerque Journal North for Wed. the 16th.
Some quotes follow:

        "Scientists long assumed radiation must hit DNA in the nucleus of a
lung cell to spark mutations and lead to cancer.
        Researchers at LANL think they've proven that's not the whole story.
Even irradiating fluid cells creates chemicals that damage DNA and may cause
cancer.
        'Our work suggests any interaction (of radiation) with biological
fluids or cells may initiate a process that could have genetic effects', said
cellular biologist Bruce Lehnert, leader of the LANL researchers"
        Lehnert, fellow LANL biologist Edwin Goodwin and post-doctoral
student Padmakumar Narayanan wanted to know what happened when the radiation 
misses the nucleus yet hits the lung fluids around the cells.  They used 
human blood serum as a substitute since the two are chemically similar.
        After they bombarded the serum with alpha particles, two highly
reactive chemicals showed up - hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anions - that 
are suspected mutagens"
        "Many scientists doubt radon really causes lung cancer, however.
Some studies show lung-cancer rates actually decline with increasing radon
exposure.
        Lehnert's team may have found an intriguing explination: the lung
cells create cancer-fighting antioxidants when they are irradiated.
        'It may be an adaptive, defensive response.  We don't know that yet,
but the evidence is consistent with that' Lehnert said"

That is the highlights of the article.

At 11:07 AM 7/16/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Good grief. Does anybody know about this?
>
>Regards, Jim
>================
>
>Lab researchers uncover new effects of radon emissions
>on human cells
>
>LOS ALAMOS, N.M., July 15, 1997 - Los Alamos National
>Laboratory researchers have uncovered new evidence of
>how radioactive emissions from radon and its decay
>products induce cellular changes that could lead to
>cancer.
>
>The results of an investigation reported in a recent
>issue of Cancer Research show that alpha particles
>like those emitted by indoor radon gas do not have
>to hit the nucleus of a cell to create changes that
>could damage the cell's DNA, which resides in the
>nucleus. In fact, the alpha particles don't even have
>to hit the cell; a microscopic bombardment of the
>surrounding medium can result in the production of
>chemicals that in turn induce cellular changes capable
>of causing DNA damage.
>
>.
>
>The full text is available at the following URL:
>http://www.lanl.gov/projects/PA/Releases/97-094.html