Assessment of lung cancer risk due to exposure to radon from coastal sediments

ABSTRACT

We conducted a lung cancer risk assessment for internal exposure to naturally occurring [222]Rn gas both indoor and outdoor. A series of equations were used to estimate Rn concentrations indoor and outdoor and the associated lung cancer risk in some coastal regions in Egypt. The mean [222]Rn concentrations were 42.98 [SD 33.12] Bq/m[3] and 8.63 [SD 6.16] Bq/m[3] indoor and outdoor respectively. The mean risk of radon-induced cancer [deaths per million population] was 83.4 [SD 64.67] indoors and 25.1 [SD19.52] outdoors. Levels were higher for western regions of the country compared to eastern ones but the highest levels were in Rashid [Nile delta]. Smoking was shown to increase the risk considerably