Health Risks of Radon and Other Internally Deposited Alpha-Emitters

This book describes hazards from radon progeny and other alpha-emitters that humans may inhale or ingest from their environment. In their analysis, the authors summarize in one document clinical and epidemiological evidence, the results of animal studies, research on alpha-particle damage at the cellular level, metabolic pathways for internal alpha-emitters, dosimetry and microdosimetry of radionuclides deposited in specific tissues, and the chemical toxicity of some low-specific-activity alpha-emitters. Techniques for estimating the risks to humans posed by radon and other internally deposited alpha-emitters are offered, along with a discussion of formulas, models, methods, and the level of uncertainty inherent in the risk estimates.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
1 Overview
2 Radon
3 Polonium
4 Radium
5 Thorium
6 Uranium
7 Transuranic Elements
8 Genetic, Teratogenic, and Fetal Effects
Appendix I: Dosimetry of Alpha Particles
Appendix II: Cellular Radiobiology
Appendix III: The Effects of Radon Progeny on Laboratory Animals
Appendix IV: Epidemiological Studies of Persons Exposed to Radon Progeny
Appendix V: Nonmalignant Respiratory and Other Diseases Among Miners Exposed to Radon
Appendix VI: Lung-Cancer Histopathology
Appendix VII: The Combined Effects of Radon Daughters and Cigarette Smoking
Appendix VIII: Previous Estimates of the Risk Due to Radon Progeny
Glossary
Index