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Answer to Question #1211 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"Category: Environmental and Background Radiation — Water The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field: Q
Can radium in drinking water cause childhood brain tumors?
A
While radium, whether eaten, drunk, or inhaled, will distribute to all tissues in the body, it remains for long time periods only in bones. Although theoretically radium can cause cancer in any tissue or organ in which it is deposited, only a few tissues and organs have demonstrated an increase in cancers. Brain tumors have not been reported to be increased in any of the epidemiological studies of humans. (Toxicological Profile for Radium, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta Georgia, 1990; Radium in Humans, A Review of US Studies, R.E. Rowland, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois,1994). Thus, although radium may cause brain tumors, it is extremely unlikely at any environmental levels.
The idea that radium causes brain tumors got started, perhaps, because of confusion. About the time of World War II, nasopharyngeal radium applicators were used to treat some medical conditions of the ear and local sinuses. In the past year, reports of cancers, including brain tumors, have been published. While there is still research going on to study this question, the question is not relevant to inhaled or ingested radium. The radium in the medical applicator devices never entered the blood stream of the patients. The applicator devices were only placed close enough to the tissue to be treated so that low-energy gamma radiation from the radium in the applicator could irradiate the desired tissue. But, no radium entered the body. Therefore, any observed increased risk would be from external gamma irradiation and not from internally deposited radium.
References:
Neal Nelson, PhD
Answer posted on 9 October 2001. The information and material posted on this website is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Website. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.
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