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Is there any interaction between domestic radon exposure and air pollution from traffic in relation to childhood leukemia risk?

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Abstract

Background

In a recent population-based case–control study using 2,400 cases of childhood cancer, we found a statistically significant association between residential radon and acute lymphoblastic leukemia risk.

Hypothesis

Traffic exhaust in the air enhances the risk association between radon and childhood leukemia.

Methods

We included 985 cases of childhood leukemia and 1,969 control children. We used validated models to calculate residential radon and street NOx concentrations for each home. Conditional logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the effect of radon on childhood leukemia risk within different strata of air pollution and traffic density.

Results

The relative risk for childhood leukemia in association with a 103 Bq/m3-years increase in radon was 1.77 (1.11, 2.82) among those exposed to high levels of NOx and 1.23 (0.79, 1.91) for those exposed to low levels of NOx (p interaction, 0.17). Analyses for different morphological subtypes of leukemia and within different strata of traffic density showed a non-significant pattern of stronger associations between radon and childhood leukemia within strata of higher traffic density at the street address.

Interpretation

Air pollution from traffic may enhance the effect of radon on the risk of childhood leukemia. The observed tendency may also be attributed to chance.

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Financial support

Dr Bräuner was supported by a Research Grant from The Danish Medical Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Elvira Vaclavik Bräuner, Joachim Schüz & Ole Raaschou-Nielsen

  2. Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Claus E. Andersen

  3. National Survey and Cadastra, 2400, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Helle P. Andersen & Morten Lind

  4. Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, 1350, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Peter Gravesen

  5. National Institute of Radiation Protection, 2730, Herlev, Denmark

    Kaare Ulbak

  6. National Environment Research Institute, Aarhus University, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Ole Hertel

  7. Department for Environmental, Social and Spatial Change (ENSPAC), Roskilde University, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Ole Hertel

Authors
  1. Elvira Vaclavik Bräuner
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  2. Claus E. Andersen
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  3. Helle P. Andersen
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  4. Peter Gravesen
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  5. Morten Lind
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  6. Kaare Ulbak
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  7. Ole Hertel
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  8. Joachim Schüz
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  9. Ole Raaschou-Nielsen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ole Raaschou-Nielsen.

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Bräuner, E.V., Andersen, C.E., Andersen, H.P. et al. Is there any interaction between domestic radon exposure and air pollution from traffic in relation to childhood leukemia risk?. Cancer Causes Control 21, 1961–1964 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9608-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9608-4

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