Resource Bank

Assessment of Potential Radiological Health Effects from Radon in Natural Gas
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Health Physics Society
Specialists in Radiation Safety
Linnea E. Wahl, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

The Health Physics Society is a nonprofit scientific professional organization whose mission is excellence in the sci-ence and practice of radiation safety. Formed in 1956, the Society has approximately 5,500 scientists, physicians, en-gineers, lawyers, and other professionals. Activities include encouraging research in radiation science, developing standards, and disseminating radiation safety information.

E.R. Jayaratne, X. Ling, and L. Morawska
International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation,
Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia

Chrystine Kelley, Environmental Protection Specialist, Radon Coordinator, Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division

One of the essential parameters influencing of the dose conversion factor is the ratio of unattached shortlived radon progeny. This may differ from the value identified for indoor conditions when considering
special workplaces such as mines. Inevitably, application of the dose conversion factors used in surface
workplaces considerably reduces the reliability of dose estimation in the case of mines.

In this paper, a simple model for analysing variability in radon concentrations in homes is tested. The
approach used here involves two error components, representing additive and multiplicative errors,
together with variation between-houses. We use a Bayesian approach for our analysis and apply this
model to two datasets of repeat radon measurements in homes; one based on 3-month long
measurements for which the original measurements were close to the current UK Radon Action Level

Capping a two year effort, Health Canada is poised to release English and French versions of radon mitigation guidance documents. The guides will join earlier publications produced in Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, and elsewhere.

On May 25, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health released a new eight year national plan to address the World Health Organization’s findings or elevated risk associated with indoor radon. The plan speaks of radon in a variety of clear ways: “It can penetrate insidiously into homes and dwellings ...”.

EPA’s Indoor Environments Division commissioned an Exploratory Study of Basement Moisture During Operation of ASD Radon Control Systems, under a cooperative agreement with Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama. The principal investigator was Brad Turk of Environmental Building Sciences, Inc., Las Vegas, New Mexico. The purpose of the study was to better understand the potential moisture reduction benefits from the operation of residential radon control systems. The report contains information of interest to a wide variety of audiences.

This paper provides a perspective on epidemiological research on radiation and cancer, a field that has evolved over its six decade history. The review covers the current framework for assessing radiation risk and persistent questions about the details of these risks: is there a threshold and more generally, what is the shape of the dose-response relationship? How do risks vary over time and with age? What factors modify the risk of radiation?