Radon-222 and Leukemia

Abstract

Leukemia was the first medically observed human cancer related to ionizing radiation in the 1945 follow-up study of atomic bomb survivors. The bone exposure and dose calculated here are based on the measured solubility of the noble gas 222Rn in blood. A fraction of the 222Rn gas in blood distributes as dissolved gas to all organs, with the fraction depending upon the blood flow rate to the organ. The exposure and dose calculated are for men and women based on measurements made for the blood flow rate to the femur, the largest bone in the human skeleton. The annual exposure and dose estimated for continuous 222Rn inhalation of 100 Bq m−3 are very low and unlikely to cause leukemia. Other neurological issues, from lifetime exposure to low activity concentrations of 222Rn alpha particle exposure in bone, are unknown.

A Study on Geographic Correlation between Indoor Radon Exposure and Leukemia Incidence in Canada

“…Based on the solubility of 222 Rn in blood, the calculated annual radiation dose to cells in bone from continuous inhalation of 222 Rn at a concentration of 100 Bq m −3 was 0.0016 and 0.0018 mGy for males and females, respectively (Harley and Leslie 2023). For 1 y of exposure to radon concentration of about 22 Bq m −3 , the committed effective dose to red bone marrow was estimated to be 80 μSv (Kendall et al 2009).…”