Radon Risks Assessment with the Covid-19 Lockdown Effects

Abstract

This work draws attention to the effects of the second cause of lung cancer which is also the largest source of exposure to ionizing radiation, radon, during the lockdown recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The basic assumption is that the exposure times have been assimilated to the 03-month lockdown time and the 02-week maximum incubation period of the disease. Doses during these periods and Relative Risk of Lung Cancer (RRLC), Lung Cancer Cases per year per million people (LCC) and Excess Lifetime Risk of Cancer (ELRC), were evaluated based on the concentrations obtained in high natural background radiation area in Cameroon. The existing exposure situation due to radon is then reevaluated and ranged from 0.76% to 17.55%. These results show that the reconsidered exposure time would be equivalent to the exposure time of a worker over one year, with their respective doses values becoming equivalent. The risks of developing lung cancer were also evaluated and it has been found that due to this pandemic it unfortunately increased.