Abstract
Chromosome painting (target chromosomes 1, 4, 12) was performed in peripheral lymphocytes from 25 occupants of nine houses with indoor radon concentrations of 210-3000 Bqm-3. Compared to a control group, the mean frequency of symmetrical translocations of the radon group was slightly but not significantly (p<0.10) increased. A similar tendency became apparent for a comparison of two groups of subjects with cumulative radon exposures above and below 2800Bqm-3 y. It is concluded that FISH-based measurements of stable symmetrical translocations should reflect the cumulative radon exposure to haematopoietic compartments such as the red bone marrow rather than to mature blood lymphocytes. Since, however, radon-derived bone marrow doses are low and control frequencies of translocations are very high (about 10-fold higher than the value for conventionally scored dicentrics), the observed relative increase (1.5-fold) of the translocation frequency in blood lymphocytes is too small to discriminate chronic radon exposure from background.