Enhanced deposition of radon daughter nuclei in the vicinity of power frequency electromagnetic fields

Abstract

We report the attraction of radon daughter nuclei in normal domestic room air to everyday sources of power frequency electromagnetic fields. TASTRAK plastic track detectors were used to measure alpha-emission from the radon (222Rn) daughters 218Po and 214Po close to 50-Hz mains frequency power cables and domestic appliance leads. We observed that wires carrying mains frequency potential attract radon daughter nuclei in a manner visually similar to the attraction of iron filings to a magnet. Increased deposition of up to a factor of 18 was observed. Further experiments designed to simulate the effect of overhead power lines at ground level showed large scale variations in local plateout and airborne concentration of radon daughters. The effects appear to be due to interactions of the electric component of the EM-field with both the ultrafine and attached fraction of radon daughter aerosols. Three mechanisms have been examined. First, aerosols instantaneously polarize in sympathy with the electric component of an applied mains frequency EM-field and as a result may migrate up strong E-field gradients. This effect is however quite weak and may only affect larger aerosols in strong field gradients. Second, charged aerosols oscillate in a 50-Hz field and in the case of the ultrafine fraction this may lead to significantly increased plateout. Third, there is the possibility that oscillation of charged aerosols induces fluctuations in the magnitude of the instantaneous charges carried and this results in a diffusive-like motion along the field lines. The effect on dose to body organs is considered. Enhanced plateout on the skin is likely, increasing the dose to the basal layer. The dose to internal organs is governed initially by inhalation and lung deposition of radon daughters. Therefore increased local concentration in room air could lead to increased dose by inhalation. E-fields are heavily attenuated by the human body and body values in tissue of no more than 10 - 4 of the external field strength have been suggested. Nevertheless calculations suggest that under exposure to strong external fields this may still be sufficient to alter the deposition pattern of the charged component of the ultrafine fraction in the bronchial region. In contrast it is unlikely that internal electric fields could significantly affect the attached radon daughters. In this context the lack of measurements of residual E-fields in the cavities of the mouth, pharyngeal and bronchial regions is of considerable importance and should be addressed. We believe that the observations may have implications for the apparent enigma that there is no persuasive biological evidence to show that power frequency electromagnetic fields can influence any of the accepted stages in carcinogenesis. On the contrary, the observations show that EM-fields can concentrate in their vicinity a cocktail of radon daughter nuclei, a known carcinogen, and presumably other potentially harmful agents.