Estimates of the Lung Cancer Cases Attributable to Radon in Municipalities of Two Apulia Provinces (Italy) and Assessment of Main Exposure Determinants

Giovanni Maria Ferri, Graziana Intranuovo, Domenica Cavone, Vincenzo Corrado, Francesco Birtolo, Paolo Tricase, Raffaele Fuso, Valeria Vilardi, Marilena Sumerano, Nicola L’abbate and Luigi Vimercati
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Giovanni Maria Ferri: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Regional University Hospital “Policlinico-Giovanni XXIII”, Section “B. Ramazzini”, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G, Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Graziana Intranuovo: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Regional University Hospital “Policlinico-Giovanni XXIII”, Section “B. Ramazzini”, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G, Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Domenica Cavone: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Regional University Hospital “Policlinico-Giovanni XXIII”, Section “B. Ramazzini”, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G, Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Vincenzo Corrado: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Regional University Hospital “Policlinico-Giovanni XXIII”, Section “B. Ramazzini”, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G, Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Francesco Birtolo: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Regional University Hospital “Policlinico-Giovanni XXIII”, Section “B. Ramazzini”, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G, Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Paolo Tricase: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Regional University Hospital “Policlinico-Giovanni XXIII”, Section “B. Ramazzini”, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G, Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Raffaele Fuso: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Regional University Hospital “Policlinico-Giovanni XXIII”, Section “B. Ramazzini”, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G, Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Valeria Vilardi: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Regional University Hospital “Policlinico-Giovanni XXIII”, Section “B. Ramazzini”, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G, Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Marilena Sumerano: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Regional University Hospital “Policlinico-Giovanni XXIII”, Section “B. Ramazzini”, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G, Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Nicola L’abbate: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Regional University Hospital “Policlinico-Giovanni XXIII”, Section “B. Ramazzini”, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G, Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
Luigi Vimercati: Unit of Occupational Medicine, Regional University Hospital “Policlinico-Giovanni XXIII”, Section “B. Ramazzini”, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, Piazza G, Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-18

Abstract: Indoor radon exposure is responsible for increased incidence of lung cancer in communities. Building construction characteristics, materials, and environmental determinants are associated with increased radon concentration at specific sites. In this study, routine data related to radon measurements available from the Apulia (Italy) Regional Environmental Protection Agency (ARPA) were combined with building and ground characteristics data. An algorithm was created based on the experience of miners and it was able to produce estimates of lung cancer cases attributable to radon in different municipalities with the combined data. In the province of Lecce, the sites with a higher risk of lung cancer are Campi Salentina and Minervino, with 1.18 WLM (working level months) and 1.38 WLM, respectively, corresponding to lung cancer incidence rates of 3.34 and 3.89 per 10 × 10 3 inhabitants. The sites in the province of Bari with higher risks of lung cancer are Gravina di Puglia and Locorotondo, measuring 1.89 WLM and 1.22 WLM, respectively, which correspond to an incidence rate of lung cancer of 5.36 and 3.44 per 10 × 10 3 inhabitants. The main determinants of radon exposure are whether the buildings were built between 1999 and 2001, were one-room buildings with porous masonry, and were built on soil consisting of pelvis, clayey sand, gravel and conglomerates, calcarenites, and permeable lithotypes.

Keywords: radon exposure; WLM (working level month); lung cancer; constructions typology; annual risk estimation; precaution principle (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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