Lockey J E, Ross C S
Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio 45267-0182.
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1994 Aug;94(2 Pt 2):310-7.
Epidemiologic studies of miners have established a causal association between radon exposure and development of lung cancer. During the past decade the focus of attention has turned to the potential risks from exposure to radon in indoor air. Governmental involvement thus far has primarily been aimed at gathering further data and issuing voluntary guidelines for radon control in the indoor environment. The federal government's most recent risk assessment for exposure to indoor radon published in 1992 concluded that exposure to indoor radon results in 13,600 radon-induced lung cancer deaths in the United States each year. As public awareness of such environmental issues continues to grow, physicians will be faced with the need to respond to inquiries regarding potential health effects. Man-made vitreous fibers are silicate glass that have a noncrystalline structure. They have been in production for more than 100 years and are used in numerous applications in residential and commercial settings. The health risks from man-made vitreous fibers that are used in residential and commercial settings are limited to skin and occasional respiratory tract irritation under circumstances of improper installation or maintenance. When glass fiber contaminates an indoor environment, proper repair measures and thorough cleaning of the indoor environment will lead to resolution of any resultant irritant symptoms.
对矿工的流行病学研究已证实氡暴露与肺癌发展之间存在因果关联。在过去十年中，关注焦点已转向室内空气中氡暴露带来的潜在风险。迄今为止，政府的参与主要旨在收集更多数据，并发布室内环境中氡控制的自愿性指南。联邦政府于1992年发布的最新室内氡暴露风险评估得出结论，在美国，室内氡暴露每年导致13,600例氡诱发的肺癌死亡。随着公众对这类环境问题的认识持续提高，医生将面临回应有关潜在健康影响询问的需求。人造玻璃纤维是具有非晶态结构的硅酸盐玻璃。它们已生产超过100年，并在住宅和商业环境中有众多应用。在住宅和商业环境中使用的人造玻璃纤维带来的健康风险仅限于在安装或维护不当的情况下对皮肤的影响以及偶尔对呼吸道的刺激。当玻璃纤维污染室内环境时，采取适当的修复措施并对室内环境进行彻底清洁将消除任何由此产生的刺激症状。
