Modelling of cell deaths and cell transformations of inhaled radon in homes and mines based on a biophysical and microdosimetric model.
OBJECTIVE
In this study a biophysical mechanism-based microdosimetric model was applied to predict the biological effects of inhaled radon progenies in homes and in uranium mines.


METHODS
The radon daughter concentrations of more than 2000 homes were averaged in case of home exposure and the New Mexico uranium mine data were used in case of exposure in mines. The complex microdosimetric model applied in this work was developed by combining a computational fluid and particle dynamics (CFPD) lung model with a lung dosimetry model that quantify the local distribution of radiation burden and the Unit-Track-Length Model, which characterizes the biological outcome of the exposure.


RESULTS
Our results show that the inhomogeneity of radon daughter deposition is stronger in the case of mines. Consequently, the numbers of cells which receive multiple hits and the maxima of radiation burdens are significantly higher in mines. In contrast to this, the distributions and maximum values of cell transformation probabilities are very similar in the two cases.


CONCLUSIONS
If the same amounts of inhaled progenies are considered then primary cellular consequences are very similar in case of homes and mines, however, the local maxima of radiation burden are higher in mines.
Szoke
István
I
Hungarian Academy of Sciences KFKI Atomic Energy Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary. szoke@sunserve.kfki.hu
Farkas
Arpád
A
Balásházy
Imre
I
Hofmann
Werner
W
D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001822:Body Burden; D016923:Cell Death / Q000528:radiation effects; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008168:Lung / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008906:Mining; D008954:Models, Biological; D009516:New Mexico; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods; D011886:Radon / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D011886:Radon