Three Mile Island epidemiologic radiation dose assessment revisited: 25 years after the accident.
Over the past 25 years, public health concerns following the Three Mile Island (TMI) accident prompted several epidemiologic investigations in the vicinity of TMI. One of these studies is ongoing. This commentary suggests that the major source of radiation exposure to the population has been ignored as a potential confounding factor or effect modifying factor in previous and ongoing TMI epidemiologic studies that explore whether or not TMI accidental plant radiation releases caused an increase in lung cancer in the community around TMI. The commentary also documents the observation that the counties around TMI have the highest regional radon potential in the United States and concludes that radon progeny exposure should be included as part of the overall radiation dose assessment in future studies of radiation-induced lung cancer resulting from the TMI accident.
Field
R William
RW
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. bill-field@uiowa.edu
D001822:Body Burden; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000401:mortality*; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D011210:Power Plants; D015995:Prevalence; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis*
D014501:Uranium; D011886:Radon