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Title: PREQUISITE SPIN-OFF FROM TWENTY-TWO YEARS OF MEASURING BACKGROUND IN THE WHOLE BODY COUNTER STEEL ROOM

Author
item LYKKEN, GLENN - UNIV OF NORTH DAKOTA
item ONG, H - UNIV OF NORTH DAKOTA
item ALKHATIB, H - UNIV OF NORTH DAKOTA
item MOMCILOVC, B - INST MED RES, CROATIA
item Penland, James

Submitted to: In Vivo Body Composition Studies International Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/28/2000
Publication Date: 5/1/2000
Citation: Lykken, G.I., Ong, H.S., Alkhatib, H.A., Harris, T.R., Momcilovic, B., Penland, J.G. 2000. Prequisite spin-off from twenty-two years of measuring background in the whole body counter steel room. In: Yasumuru, S., Wang, J., Person, R.N., editors. In Vivo Body Composition Studies. New York: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. vol.904. p.267-270.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The whole body counter (WBC) at the USDA, ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, was first used for human metabolic studies in August 1977. In May 1980 external air ducts were installed to reduce diurnal fluctuations in background radiations (BR). Monitoring 214**Bi photo peaks in human subjects and the BR revealed that a significant fraction of radon inhaled by cyclists riding outdoors is stored in the body. Inhalation of radon-laden atmospheres (RLA) by a subject resulted in emission of 214**Pb and 214**Bi gamma rays. These observations resulted in our establishing the University of North Dakota Radon Monitoring Facility. High Rn concentrations in bedrooms resulted in significant Rn body concentrations in 40 females; there was no significant finding for 57 males. After eating breakfast, a significant fraction of 222**Rn stored in the omental fat of a male individual was "flushed out" by clean air for one hour. Later an eight-lead EEG indicated that brain activity in this subject increased after inhaling RLA. This finding led to an exploration of the dependence of 210**Po activity in the hair on Rn concentration in bedrooms. Now, we are studying how 210**Pb-free galena ore becomes contaminated with 210**Pb during industrial smelting. "Clean lead" is required for electrical contacts in high-speed, high-density computer memories so as to reduce "soft errors. Our persistent monitoring of BR, in conjunction with WBC measurements, led to perquisite spin offs of interest to modern society.