Leukemia in childhood and adolescence and exposure to ionizing radiation in homes built from uranium-containing alum shale concrete.
Concerns in Sweden about indoor radon around 1980 prompted measurements of gamma-radiation from the facades of houses to identify those constructed of uranium-containing alum shale concrete, with potentially high radon concentrations. To evaluate any possible risk of acute lymphocytic leukemia from exposure to elevated gamma-radiation in these homes, we identified the acute lymphocytic leukemia cases less than 20 years of age in Sweden during 1980-1989 as well as eight controls per case from the population registry, matching on age, gender, and county. Using the existing measurements, exposure was assessable for 312 cases and 1,418 controls from 151 properly measured municipalities. A conditional logistic odds ratio of 1.4 (95% confidence interval = 1.0-1.9) was obtained for those ever having lived in alum shale concrete houses, with the average exposure exceeding 0.10 microsieverts per hour. Comparing those who ever lived in alum shale concrete houses (divided by higher and lower annual average exposure) with those who never lived in such houses, we found a weak dose-response relation. The results suggest some risk of acute lymphocytic leukemia from indoor ionizing radiation among children and young adults.
Axelson
Olav
O
Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Health and Environment, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. olav.axelson@ymk.liu.se
Fredrikson
Mats
M
Akerblom
Gustav
G
Hardell
Lennart
L
D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000009:adverse effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011886:Radon / Q000009:adverse effects; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D011886:Radon