United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Information Resources
Management
(PM-211A)
INTERNATIONAL
UPDATE
EPA/220/N-93-029 */
Sept./Oct. 1993
\:
From the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air
WHO Working Group on Indoor Air
The World Health Organization (WHO) Working Group
Meeting on Indoor Air Quality: A Risk-based Ap-
proach to Health Criteria for Radon Indoors, con-
vened in Eilat, Israel March 28 - April 4,1993 to assess
the significance of health risks associated with indoor
radon exposure in order to develop risk management
policies and strategies based on health criteria. Advisors
from eleven European countries, China, Israel, and the
United States were invited to participate. US participants,
serving as temporary WHO advisors, included Margo T.
Oge, Directorof EPA's Office of Radiation and Indoor Air
(ORIA), William H. Farland, Director of EPA's Office of
ealth and Environmental Assessment, and Dennis
'agner and Susan Conrath of ORIA's Radon Division.
epresentatives from the International Agency for Re-
earch on Cancer and the WHO Regional Office for
Europe also attended. The Group addressed three main
issues: health risks, risk management, and risk commu-
nication.
In the area of health risks:
The Group confirmed the human carcinogenicity of radon
and its status as an important public health problem.
They reaffirmed the reasonable natureof the linear model
for extrapolation of risk from miners to residential popu-
lations, and the fact that the uncertainties in radon risk
assessment modelling are fewer than those associated
with many other environmental carcinogens. They rec-
ommended use of the modified BEIR IV model for risk
assessment and guideline/standard setting. The advi-
sors also determined that smokers are at a higher total
risk from radon exposure than nonsmokers since the
combined risk of smoking and radon exposure is more
than additive and no conclusive evidence exists associ-
ating radon with any health effect other than lung cancer.
The participants recommended proceeding with the pooled
analysis of both miner and indoor radon studies, as well
as addressing the magnitude of risk to nonsmokers and
the interaction between radon exposure and smoking.
They also recommended that future epidemiologicalcase-
control studies aimed at quantifying precisely the effect of
residential radon exposure should be conducted. The
studies should control for significant variables, especially
tobacco smoking. They encouraged laboratory
investigations of the molecular and cellular effects of
alpha-emitters in general and radon in particular, the
elucidations of carcinogenic mechanisms of radon, and
the construction of biologically-based models.
In the area of risk management:
The participants concluded that the tools for controlling
the risk from indoor radon are not being extensively used
and considerable effort is needed to create a proper basis
for dealing with this task. They noted that different
authorities are in charge of the management of radon risk
in different countries since this management involves
questions of both radiation protection and indoor air
health concerns.
They recommended that a comprehensive national radon
policy, integrating risk assessment, measurement proto-
cols, contractor training, mitigation, and a built-in evalua-
tion program be developed in a step-by-step manner to
include:
identification of potential sources of elevated
exposure
identification of populations at highest risk
• identification of situations with the potential for
increased exposure
development of a risk management strategy
The WHO advisors also recommended the avoidance of
construction materials which could be a source of radon,
the development of building codes and guidelines for
radon-affected areas, and the extension of the risk reduc-
tion strategy to schools, workplaces and public buildings,
as well as homes. The Group addressed the issue of
stressing risk reduction strategies for high-risk individuals
while simultaneously addressing risk reduction for the
population at large. They endorsed the integration of
future radon policy into a global risk management strat-
egy, for which various policy tools are developed in a
consistent way.
In the area of risk communication:
The Group agreed that a productive risk communication
policy involves testing alternative messages with
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appropriate audiences to ensure that such messages are
clear, accurate, and effective. Such communication
efforts should identify target audiences, enlist sources
respected by the target audiences and make use of
communications channels available to these sources.
The Group's goal for radon risk communication is the
provision of accurate scientific information to reduce
radon health risks. They recommended that countries
collect baseline information on existing attitudes and
perceptions about radon before initiating a risk communi-
cation program. The linking of communication efforts to
key issues, such as the availability of qualified testing
services and contractors, and the continuous evaluation
and improvement of the risk communication program,
were also recommended. International sharing of radon
risk communication information was encouraged.
--Submitted by
Susan Conrath (Radon Division, ORIA)
(202) 233-9397
New Books
The following books may be checked out from the
International Collection at the Headquarters Library:
Building Sustainable Communities - Water Qual-
ity: Protection and Remediation. The Global
Cities Project. 1991. TD365.W381.1991.
Caribbean Ecology and Economics. Caribbean
Conservation Association. 1991.
HC151.Z9E53.1991,
Environment and Development in Latin America
and the Caribbean: The Role of the World Bank.
The World Bank. 1992, HC123.D59.1992,
The Greening of World Trade. [A Report to EPA].
The Trade and Environment Committee of the
National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy
and Technology. 1993. EPA/100/R-93-002.
The Impact of Ozone-Layer Depletion.
GEMS. 1992. TD885.5.O85I47.1992.
UNEP/
Marine Mammals.
QL713.2.M45.1985.
UNEP. May 1985.
Journal Articles of Interest
"Changing the Recipe." [French Industry accepts its
environmental responsibilities]. Environmentrisk.
(June 1993): pp.17-19.
Clements, J.W. and J.P. Thompson. "Cleaner Produc-
tion: An Industrial Example." [Study of a polyethylene
plant at Altona, Victoria, Australia.] Journal of Cleaner
Production. (1993). Vol.1 No.1: pp.15-19.
Forje, John W. "Cultivating New Perspectives on Tropi-
cal Forest Utilization and Prospects for the Future."
Environmental Education and Information.
(July-September 1992). Vol.11 No.3: pp.181-190.
Jukofsky, Diane. "Can Marketing Save the Rainforest?"
E Magazine. (July/August 1993). Vol.4 No.4: pp.32-39.
Khordagui, Hosny and Dhari AI-Ajmi. "Environmental
Impact of the Gulf War: An Integrated Preliminary
Assessment." Environmental Management.
(July/August 1993). Vol.17 No.4: pp.557-562.
McCarthy, James E. "Recycling and Reducing Packag-
ing Waste: How the United States Compares to Other
Countries." Resources, Conservation and Recycling.
(April 1993). Vol.8 No.3-4: pp.293-360.
Moberg, David. "Sunset for Chlorine?" [Chlorine
pollution in the Great Lakes.] E Magazine.
(July/August 1993). Vol.4 No.4: 26-31.
Myers, N. "Biodiversity and the Precautionary Principle."
Ambio. (May 1993). Vol.22 No.2-3: pp.74-79.
Rose, Julian. "Croatia: Environmental Effects of War."
Environmental Science and Technology.
(June 1993). Vol.27No.6: pp.1010-1011.
Vernon, Raymond. "Behind the Scenes: How
Policymaking in the European Community, Japan, and
the United States Affects Global Negotiations."
Environment. (June 1993). Vol.35 No.5: pp.13-42.
EPA Staff may request copies of articles by sending
e-mail to library.lnfoterra, calling (202) 260-5927, or
visiting INFOTERRA in the Headquarters Library.
UNEP
Head Librarian
Carol Stiles
Reference Librarians
Elizabeth Behrendt
Robert Hulshof
Technician
Jill Mottorn
(202)260-5917
(202) 260-5927
(202) 260-3638
(202) 260-9357
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