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Natural Radionuclides: Environmental Sources, Fate, Risk and Potential Benefit of Exposure

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2022) | Viewed by 12630

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Akihiro Sakoda

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Guest Editor

Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Okayama, Japan
Interests: environmental radioactivity; naturally occurring radioactive material; radon; radiation measurement; dose calculation; radiation protection

Prof. Dr. Claudia Fournier

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Guest Editor

GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany
Interests: radon exposure; radon therapy; radiation protection; impact of irradiation on the immune system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are always exposed, anywhere, anytime, to natural radiation originating from the environment. Irrespective of whether you recognize this fact, you cannot avoid it. Environmental radioactivity has long been investigated in a variety of contexts, such as radiation protection, radioecology, radiobiology, and epidemiology.
Natural radionuclides, e.g., uranium, thorium, radium, and radon, are present in all atmospheric, terrestrial, aquatic environments. They can travel between those environments when moving as a result of natural process. This results in prolonged irradiation, with a low dose rate, to biota including humans.
Although it has been shown in epidemiological studies that exposure to environmental radiation sources, in particular radon, bears an increased risk for cancer, radioactive radon is sometimes used to treat chronic inflammatory diseases as an alternative or supplement to conventional medication. However, the scientific basis, i.e., underlying mechanisms for pain relief, and anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects observed in treated patients remains to be elucidated.
This Special Issue, named “Natural Radionuclides: Environmental Sources, Fate, Risk, and Potential Benefit of Exposure”, will cover both fundamental research and practical research—e.g., parameter identification/determination, field sampling/monitoring, dose assessment, cell/animal experiments, numerical modeling, and data analysis—that are involved in naturally occurring radionuclides, in the light of environmental science, radiation protection or radiobiology. Out-of-the-mainstream but interesting or controversial studies are also welcome: for instance, the role of a radon isotope in balneotherapy, and the possibility of environmental radioactivity as a tool for science communication.

Dr. Akihiro Sakoda
Prof. Dr. Claudia Fournier
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Environmental radioactivity
Naturally occurring radioactive material
Radiation protection and safety
Dynamics monitoring and modeling
Dose assessment
Biological experiments
Radiation response
Health effect

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 3901 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Indoor Radon Levels in Homes and Schools in the Western Cape, South Africa—Results from a Schools Science Outreach Initiative and Corresponding Model Predictions

by Abbey Matimba Maheso, Jacques Bezuidenhout and Richard Thomas Newman

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1350; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021350 - 11 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1936

Abstract

We describe a school science outreach initiative that introduced learners to applied nuclear physics research by means of a two-day workshop that involved learners and teachers from 5 schools in the Western Cape province of South Africa. During this workshop, the participants were introduced to the naturally occurring, inert, colorless, and tasteless radioactive gas radon (²²²Rn). During the first day of the workshop, the participants were informed about the detrimental health impacts of inhaling radon and its daughter radionuclides and were shown how indoor radon activity concentrations can be measured using the electret ion chamber (EIC) technology. The learners were then each supplied with a short-term electret (E-PERM, Radelec, Frederick, MD, USA) and associated ion chamber to enable them to make radon measurements in their homes. The teachers in turn were supplied with EICs to enable them make radon measurements in their schools. The participants returned the EICs on the second day of the workshop, one week later. Here, the drop in the potential difference across each electret was measured in order to calculate the average indoor radon activity concentration. A total of 49 indoor radon concentrations were measured. The average indoor radon concentrations were 36 ± 26 Bqm⁻³ in homes and 41 ± 36 Bqm⁻³ in schools, while the highest concentration was found to be 144 Bqm⁻³. These levels were compared to predictions from a model that uses input information about the uranium content associated with the surface geology at each measurement location. The predictions compared well with the measured values. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Radionuclides: Environmental Sources, Fate, Risk and Potential Benefit of Exposure)

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12 pages, 1698 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Immunomodulatory Effects of Radon Inhalation on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation in Mice

by Takahiro Kataoka, Shota Naoe, Kaito Murakami, Yuki Fujimoto, Ryohei Yukimine, Ayumi Tanaka and Kiyonori Yamaoka

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10632; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710632 - 26 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1598

Abstract

Typical indications for radon therapy include autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We had previously reported that radon inhalation inhibits Th17 immune responses in RA mice by activating Th1 and Th2 immune responses. However, there are no reports on how radon inhalation affects the activated Th1 and Th17 immune responses, and these findings may be useful for identifying new indications for radon therapy. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of radon inhalation on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response, focusing on the expression of related cytokines and antioxidant function. Male BALB/c mice were exposed to 2000 Bq/m³ radon for one day. Immediately after radon inhalation, LPS was administered intraperitoneally at 1.0 mg/kg body weight for 4 h. LPS administration increased the levels of Th1- and Th17-prone cytokines, such as interleukin-2, tumor necrosis factor-α, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, compared to no treatment control (sham). However, these effects were suppressed by radon inhalation. IL-10 levels were significantly increased by LPS administration, with or without radon inhalation, compared to sham. However, radon inhalation did not inhibit oxidative stress induced by LPS administration. These findings suggest that radon inhalation has immunomodulatory but not antioxidative functions in LPS-induced injury. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Radionuclides: Environmental Sources, Fate, Risk and Potential Benefit of Exposure)

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19 pages, 576 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dosimetric Comparison of Exposure Pathways to Human Organs and Tissues in Radon Therapy

by Werner Hofmann, Herbert Lettner and Alexander Hubmer

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10870; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010870 - 15 Oct 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1949

Abstract

Three therapeutic applications are presently prescribed in the radon spas in Gastein, Austria: exposure to radon in a thermal bath, exposure to radon vapor in an exposure chamber (vapor bath), and exposure to radon in the thermal gallery, a former mine. The radiological exposure pathways to human organs and tissues in these therapeutic radon applications are inhalation of radon and radon progeny via the lungs, radon transfer from water or air through the skin, and radon-progeny deposition on the skin in water or air. The objectives of the present study were to calculate radon and radon-progeny doses for selected organs and tissues for the different exposure pathways and therapeutic applications. Doses incurred in red bone marrow, liver, kidneys, and Langerhans cells in the skin may be correlated with potential therapeutic benefits, while doses to the lungs and the basal cells of the skin indicate potential carcinogenic effects. The highest organ doses among the three therapeutic applications were produced in the thermal gallery by radon progeny via inhalation, with lung doses of 5.0 mSv, and attachment to the skin, with skin doses of 4.4 mSv, while the radon contribution was less significant. For comparison, the primary exposure pathways in the thermal bath are the radon uptake through the skin, with lung doses of 334 μSv, and the radon-progeny attachment to the skin, with skin doses of 216 μSv, while the inhalation route can safely be neglected. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Radionuclides: Environmental Sources, Fate, Risk and Potential Benefit of Exposure)

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13 pages, 905 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chromosome Aberrations in Lymphocytes of Patients Undergoing Radon Spa Therapy: An Explorative mFISH Study

by Nerea Paz, Carola Hartel, Elena Nasonova, Anna-Jasmina Donaubauer, Benjamin Frey and Sylvia Ritter

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10757; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010757 - 13 Oct 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2379

Abstract

In the present exploratory study, we aim to elucidate the action of radon in vivo and to assess the possible health risks. Chromosome aberrations were analyzed in lymphocytes of two patients (P1, P2) undergoing radon spa therapy in Bad Steben (Germany). Both patients, suffering from painful chronic degenerative disorders of the spine and joints, received nine baths (1.2 kBq/L at 34 °C) over a 3-week period. Chromosome aberrations were analyzed before and 6, 12 and 30 weeks after the start of therapy using the high-resolution multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization (mFISH) technique. For comparison, the lymphocytes from two healthy donors (HD1, HD2) were examined. P1 had a higher baseline aberration frequency than P2 and both healthy donors (5.3 ± 1.3 vs. 2.0 ± 0.8, 1.4 ± 0.3 and 1.1 ± 0.1 aberrations/100 analyzed metaphases, respectively). Complex aberrations, biomarkers of densely ionizing radiation, were found in P1, P2 and HD1. Neither the aberration frequency nor the fraction of complex aberrations increased after radon spa treatment, i.e., based on biological dosimetry, no increased health risk was found. It is worth noting that a detailed breakpoint analysis revealed potentially clonal aberrations in both patients. Altogether, our data show pronounced inter-individual differences with respect to the number and types of aberrations, complicating the risk analysis of low doses such as those received during radon therapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Radionuclides: Environmental Sources, Fate, Risk and Potential Benefit of Exposure)

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7 pages, 1040 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Radon Adsorption in Charcoal

by Andreas Maier, Jesse Jones, Sonja Sternkopf, Erik Friedrich, Claudia Fournier and Gerhard Kraft

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4454; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094454 - 22 Apr 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3096

Abstract

Radon is pervasive in our environment and the second leading cause of lung cancer induction after smoking. Therefore, the measurement of radon activity concentrations in homes is important. The use of charcoal is an easy and cost-efficient method for this purpose, as radon can bind to charcoal via Van der Waals interaction. Admittedly, there are potential influencing factors during exposure that can distort the results and need to be investigated. Consequently, charcoal was exposed in a radon chamber at different parameters. Afterward, the activity of the radon decay products ²¹⁴Pb and ²¹⁴Bi was measured and extrapolated to the initial radon activity in the sample. After an exposure of 1 h, around 94% of the maximum value was attained and used as a limit for the subsequent exposure time. Charcoal was exposed at differing humidity ranging from 5 to 94%, but no influence on radon adsorption could be detected. If the samples were not sealed after exposure, radon desorbed with an effective half-life of around 31 h. There is also a strong dependence of radon uptake on the chemical structure of the recipient material, which is interesting for biological materials or diffusion barriers as this determines accumulation and transport. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Radionuclides: Environmental Sources, Fate, Risk and Potential Benefit of Exposure)

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