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How Much Protection Against Radon Do We Need?

Klaus Becker

Radiation, Science & Health, Berlin, Germany

Corresponding author: Prof. Klaus Becker, Vice President
    Radiation, Science & Health
    D-12207 Berlin, Germany
    Boothstr. 27.
    Telephone: +4930-772-1284
    Fax number: +4930-772-1284
    E-mail adress: prof.dr.klaus.becker@t-online.de

CEJOEM 2001, Vol.7. Nos.3-4.:168-177


Key words:
Radon risk, epidemiology, smoking, balneology, lung cancer


Abstract:
It has been long established that radon contributed to lung cancer among early miners, and has beneficial health effects, e.g., for painful joint diseases. Based on still controversial epidemiological data regulators currently favour linear extrapolation from very high mining to low residential radon exposures. This paper reviews direct and indirect evidence that due to various perturbing factors, first of all, to retrospective determination of smoking habits, this approach is misleading and, at the same tine, claiming for economic and other consequences that cannot actually be justified by public health reasons. A threshold for residential radon levels around 1000 Bq/m3 is likely.


Received:  27 June 2001
Accepted:  08 August 2001

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