RISKS AND RADIATION DOSES DUE TO RESIDENTIAL RADON IN GERMANY.

The population-averaged risk rate and the annual average effective dose due to residential radon in Germany were calculated. The calculations were based on an epidemiological approach taking into account the age- and gender-specific lung cancer incidence rates for the German population and the excess relative risk of 0.16 per 100 Bq·m-3 for residential radon. In addition, the risk estimates adjusted for the smoking habits were determined. The population-averaged risk rate for the whole population was estimated with 4.1·10-5 y-1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4·10-5-7.6·10-5 y-1). Residential radon causes a detriment per year of 3.3·10-5 y-1 (95% CI 1.1·10-5-6.0·10-5 y-1), which corresponds to an annual average effective dose of 0.6 mSv (95% CI 0.2-1.1 mSv). Annually, ~3400 lung cancer incidences are attributed to residential radon. The results from the epidemiological approach exercised in this study are considerably lower than the effective dose, which would be obtained from the dose conversion coefficient calculated using biokinetic and dosimetric models.