Attributable mortality to radon exposure in Galicia, Spain. Is it necessary to act in the face of this health problem?

Abstract

BackgroundRadon is the second risk factor for lung cancer after tobacco consumption and therefore it is necessary to know the burden of disease due to its exposure. The objective of this study is to estimate radon-attributable lung cancer mortality in Galicia, a high emission area located at the Northwest Spain.MethodsA prevalence-based attribution method was applied. Prevalence of tobacco use and radon exposure were obtained from a previously published study of the same area. Attributable mortality was calculated for each of six possible risk categories, based on radon exposure and smoking status. Two scenarios were used, with 37 Bq/m3 and 148 Bq/m3 as the respective radon exposure thresholds. As the observed mortality we used lung cancer mortality for 2001 from the Galician mortality registry.ResultsMortality exclusively attributable to radon exposure ranged from 3% to 5% for both exposure thresholds, respectively. Attributable mortality to combined exposure to radon and smoking stood at around 22% for exposures above 148 Bq/m3. Applying the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action level, radon has a role in 25% of all lung cancers.ConclusionsAlthough the estimates have been derived from a study with a relatively limited sample size, these results highlight the importance of radon exposure as a cause of lung cancer and its effect in terms of disease burden. Radon mitigation activities in the study area must therefore be enforced.

Residential Radon Exposure, Histologic Types, and Lung Cancer Risk. A Case–Control Study in Galicia, Spain

“…Studies on radon attributing to lung cancer mortality provide indirect evidence of this joint effect between tobacco and radon. Whereas attributable mortality exclusively due to radon exposure is very low, in most lung cancer deaths, smoking is present with more or less intensity (30,31). The present study has found no effect of radon exposure in never-smokers.…”

Lung cancer risk from radon exposure in dwellings in Sweden: how many cases can be prevented if radon levels are lowered?

“…The attributable fraction of lung cancer caused by residential radon exposure has been estimated in several studies. In addition to the estimation by Darby et al [ 8 ] that 9 % of deaths in lung cancer in Europe is caused by radon exposure, such calculations have been reported from the USA [ 6 ], Canada [ 15 ], Germany [ 16 ], England [ 17 ], Romania [ 18 ], Spain [ 19 ], France [ 20 ], the Netherlands, and Sweden [ 21 ]. The estimated proportion of radon-caused lung cancer varied between 3 % in England and 20 % in Sweden.…”

Radón interior y salud pública en España. Tiempo para la acción

“…A día de hoy, desconocemos la puesta en marcha de ninguno de ellos. Quizá esto se deba a que el radón no se ve ni se huele, aunque participa en torno al 10-25% de todos los casos de cáncer de pulmón 23,24 .…”