title: Variation with socioeconomic status of indoor radon levels in Great Britain: The less affluent have less radon.
abstract: We demonstrate a strong correlation between domestic radon levels and socio-economic status (SES) in Great Britain, so that radon levels in homes of people with lower SES are, on average, only about two thirds of those of the more affluent. This trend is apparent using small area measures of SES and also using individual social classes. The reasons for these differences are not known with certainty, but may be connected with greater underpressure in warmer and better-sealed dwellings. There is also a variation of indoor radon levels with the design of the house (detached, terraced, etc.). In part this is probably an effect of SES, but it appears to have other causes as well. Data from other countries are also reviewed, and broadly similar effects seen in the United States for SES, and in other European countries for detached vs other types of housing. Because of correlations with smoking, this tendency for the lower SES groups to experience lower radon levels may underlie the negative association between radon levels and lung cancer rates in a well-known ecological study based on US Counties. Those conducting epidemiological studies of radon should be alert for this effect and control adequately for SES.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK. Electronic address: Gerald.Kendall@ceu.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Gerald M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Kendall
authors.affiliation: Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK.
authors.forename: Jon C H
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.affiliation: Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.affiliation: Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Institute of Population Health, The University of Manchester, Ellen Wilkinson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wakeford
authors.affiliation: National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK.
authors.forename: Kathryn J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Bunch
authors.affiliation: Formerly Childhood Cancer Research Group, University of Oxford, New Richards Building, Old Road 12 Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK.
authors.forename: Tim J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.affiliation: Radiation Epidemiology Branch, National Cancer Institute, DHHS, NIH, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9778, USA.
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Little
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006798:Housing / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics; D012923:Social Class; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D011886:Radon
keywords: Deprivation; Epidemiology; Radon; Socioeconomic status