Lung cancer decay product dose

Fig. 5.4. Effective dose by the inhalation of radon decay products as a function of the particle diameter at different relative cancer sensitivity distributions between the bronchial, wbb, bronchiolar, Wbb, and alveolar, wai, region of the thoracic lung (wr = 20, U) = 0.12). v = 0.75 (basal cells + secretory cells).

Average dose conversion factor, DCF, for the inhalation of unattached, DCFu, and aerosol-attached, DCFae. radon decay products in air of different locations arranged according to aerosol conditions. ITbb ITbb Ai = 0- 0 0.15 0.05 is the relative cancer sensitivity distribution of the bronchial, Wbb. and alveolar, u)ai> regions of the thoracic lung, v = inhalation rate, Z = aerosol particle concentration. The indices i = n, a and c represent the nucleation (Aitken nuclei), accumulation and coarse particle modes... 

When radon ( Rn) and its short-lived decay products are inhaled, the alpha particles emitted by the deposited decay products dominate a radiation dose to lung tissue these products, especially those attached to small size aerosols or that remain in an unattached form, cause damage to sensitive lung cells, thereby increasing the probability of developing cancer. The Radon acts mainly as the source of its decay products, which actually deliver the dose to the lungs. However, as a convenient abbreviation, the health effects of radon decay products are often referred to simply as the health effects of radon [1-3]. 

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