title: Childhood leukemia incidence and exposure to indoor radon, terrestrial and cosmic gamma radiation.
abstract: This study was undertaken to evaluate the ecological association between terrestrial and cosmic gamma radiation, indoor radon, and acute leukemia incidence among children under 15 y of age. From 1990 to 2001, 5,330 cases of acute leukemia were registered by the French National Registry of Childhood Leukemia and Lymphoma. Exposure to terrestrial gamma radiation was based on measurements, using thermoluminescent dosimeters, at about 1,000 sites covering all the "Départements." In addition, 8,737 indoor terrestrial gamma dose rate measurements covering 62% of the "Départements" and 13,240 indoor radon concentration measurements covering all the "Départements" were made during a national campaign. Cosmic ray doses were estimated in each of the 36,363 "Communes" of France. There was no evidence of an ecological association between terrestrial gamma dose (range: 0.22-0.90 mSv y) or total gamma dose (range: 0.49-1.28 mSv y) and childhood acute leukemia incidence, for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), in univariate or multivariate regression analyses including indoor radon. A significant positive association between indoor radon (range: 22-262 Bq m) and AML incidence among children was observed and remained significant in multivariate regression analyses including either terrestrial gamma dose [SIR per 100 Bq m = 1.29 (1.09-1.53)] or total gamma dose [SIR per 100 Bq m = 1.29 (1.09-1.53)]. The study showed no ecological association between terrestrial gamma radiation and childhood leukemia for the range of variation in gamma dose rates observed in France. The moderate ecological association between childhood AML incidence and indoor radon does not appear to be confounded by terrestrial gamma dose.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U754, 16 Avenue Paul Vaillant-Couturier, F-94807 Villejuif Cedex, France. evrard@vjf.inserm.fr
authors.forename: Anne-Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Evrard
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hémon
authors.forename: Solenne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Billon
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Laurier
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jougla
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tirmarche
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clavel
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D001822:Body Burden; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003359:Cosmic Radiation; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007953:Leukemia, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D012042:Registries; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D011886:Radon