Parallel Descriptive Assessments of Indoor Radon (2023) and Regional Hospital Cancer Registry Records (2003–2023) in Midwestern Santa Catarina, Brazil
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Radon is an established environmental cause of lung cancer, but residential surveillance is limited in Brazil. This study comprised two complementary, analytically independent components: indoor radon monitoring in Caçador, and Hospital Cancer Registry records of tracheal, bronchial and lung cancers in a 27-municipality regional analytical area, with comparisons to Santa Catarina and Brazil. Radosys RSKS CR-39 detectors were deployed for three months at 32 locations (26 residential, 6 commercial; 57 measurements); structured interviews assessed building and occupancy features. Registry records (2003–2023) were analysed descriptively. Median location-level radon concentration was 20.3 Bq/m3 (range 7–112 Bq/m3). One bedroom measurement and one commercial location exceeded the World Health Organization residential benchmark of 100 Bq/m3, while all remained below the Brazilian 300 Bq/m3 reference level for dwellings and other high-occupancy areas. Masonry with external coating (68.8%), ground-contact foundations (90.6%), and at least one active smoker in 34.4% of locations were reported. The regional analytical area comprised 356 records; across all territorial levels, men, adults aged 60–69 years, and adenocarcinoma predominated, with substantial missing data on smoking history, family history, and staging. Findings provide a regional baseline for targeted radon monitoring and improved cancer registry data quality.
Source: Atmosphere
Language: English
Subfield: Radiological and Ultrasound Technology
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,896
OpenAlex ID: W7222496548