title: Indoor residential radon exposure and risk of childhood acute myeloid leukaemia.
abstract: Exposure to radon has been identified as a risk factor for lung cancer in uranium miners, but evidence of adverse health effects due to indoor radon exposure is inconsistent. Ecological studies have suggested a correlation between indoor radon levels and leukaemia incidence. We evaluated the risk associated with indoor residential radon exposure within a larger interview-based case-control study of risk factors for childhood acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). A total of 173 cases and 254 controls met the eligibility criteria, and information was collected through telephone interviews with parents and analysis of alpha-track radon detectors placed in the home for a period of 1 year. No association was observed between radon exposure and risk of AML, with adjusted odds ratios of 1.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7-1.8) for 37-100 Bq m(-3) and 1.1 (95% CI 0.6-2.0) for > 100 Bq m(-3) compared with < 37 Bq m(-3). Although there was an inverse association between radon level and AML risk among children < 2 years at diagnosis, among children > or = 2 years, AML risk was increased among those with higher radon exposure. The observed association after age 2 is most likely due to chance. Overall, there was no association between residential radon and risk of childhood AML.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steinbuch
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Robison
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Sandler
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000209:etiology*; D007953:Leukemia, Radiation-Induced / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D011886:Radon / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon