Tell some people that the government has determined that they shouldn’t stick a fork into their eye and they’ll do it anyway. Then they’ll claim it actually helps them to see better. And it cured their gout. And their jock itch. And whatever else ails them. The same thing applies to exposing themselves to known carcinogens such as radon gas. In fact, not only are some people seeking out sources of radon to expose themselves to, but other people are charging them good money for the privilege of doing so. Out in Montana there’s at least two “radon health mines” where for an hourly rate you can sit in an abandoned mine and breathe in the radon filled air:
The Montana public health agency “doesn’t encourage (the mines’) use,” said Dr. Todd Damrow of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Service. “But people are free to use them.”
And they do, by the thousands every year. Many people make annual pilgrimages to the Merry Widow and the Earth Angel mines in Basin, and the Free Enterprise and Lone Tree mines in Boulder.
Owners of the mines dismiss the EPA warnings about radon as “government propaganda.”
“It’s not harmful at all,” said Patricia Lewis, owner of the Free Enterprise Mine.
The article doesn’t state what qualifications Patricia Lewis has for determining that radon gas isn’t harmful in spite of the mounds of studies that contradict her stance. Nor does the article elaborate on what reason Lewis feels the government has for spreading such propaganda about the dangers of radon exposure, but I’m sure her reasons are all based on valid scientific principles and exhaustive medical research, right? Well, she does have a nice list of links to a handful of dissenters on the dangers of radon at her website some of whom do have valid medical degrees and some of the organizations have impressive names (though some of the websites are now defunct), but compared to the amount of contradictory evidence the literal handful of counter-arguments doesn’t hold up well. It certainly doesn’t justify the laundry-list of ailments that they claim radon therapy might be helpful for:
-
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)
-
Arthritis (OA, RA, JRA etc.)
-
Asthma
-
Behcets
-
Bursitis
-
Cancer (Breast)
-
Carpal Tunnel
-
Chronic Pain
-
Circulation
-
Diabetes Type I & II
-
Eczema
-
Emphysema
-
Fibromyalgia (FMS)
-
Gout
-
Hayfever
-
High Blood Pressure
-
Inflammation
-
Lupus (SLE)
-
Migraine Headaches
-
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
-
Osteo Arthritis (OA)
-
Post Polio Syndrome (PPS)
-
Prostate (BPH)
-
Psoriasis
-
Rheumatoid (RA)
-
Scleroderma
-
Sinus
-
Ulcerative Colitis
Much like the ever-popular Homeopathy or some practitioners of Chiropractic, it seems like there’s not much radon therapy isn’t effective for if you believe their website. The owner of the other mine is Dwayne Knutzen and he’s got the typical I-was-a-skeptic-at-first story that’s familiar to anyone who pays attention to these things.
“I was like everybody else,” he said. “Radon? That can’t be good for you.”
But the more he researched the health benefits of radon, he said, the more he was convinced of them.
“The only reason I bought the place,” said Knutzen, “is it’s so fascinating. You hear all these bad things. But you can’t ever find anybody who died from it. And there are all these benefits.”
It’s probably true that you’re unlikely to find many death certificates that specifically list radon as the cause of death, but then you don’t normally find death certificates that cite smoking as the cause of death either as in both cases it’s something that tends to affect you slowly over a period of time eventually resulting in lung cancer. In fact, if you’re a smoker the risk increases dramatically.
It’s estimated that around 14,000 deaths a year are associated with radon exposure, though that could range from as low as 7,000 to as high as 30,000. Ironically, we know more about the dangers of radon than we do about almost any other human carcinogen thanks to extensive epidemiological studies of thousands of underground miners carried out over more than fifty years world-wide. The charge that this is all Governmental propaganda doesn’t hold water as these studies have been repeated throughout the world.
- In 1988, a panel of world experts convened by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer unanimously agreed that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that radon causes cancer in humans and in laboratory animals (IARC, 1988). Scientific committees assembled by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS, 1988), the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP, 1987), and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP, 1984) also have reviewed the available data and agreed that radon exposure causes human lung cancer.
Recognizing that radon is a significant public health risk, scientific and professional organizations such as the American Medical Association, the American Lung Association, and the National Medical Association have developed programs to reduce the health risks of radon. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reviewed the epidemiological data and recommended that the annual radon progeny exposure limit for the mining industry be lowered (NIOSH 1987).—A Physician’s Guide – Radon: The Health Threat with a Simple Solution
But don’t let that dissuade you, a couple of yahoos out in Montana say it’s perfectly safe and they’re willing to charge you $112 for 32 hours of exposure to prove it to you. Hey, they got tons of testimonials from other folks they’ve successfully charged as proof that it works!
A sign above the door reads “Fountain of Youth – Feel Young Again,” a reference to the mine’s radon-saturated spring water that flows from the depths of the mountain. Guests frequently brave the icy 40-degree temperature of the water with hopes of soaking away pain and swelling in joints and to improve circulation. They even splash it in their eyes to improve vision and, some say, cure cataracts. Others drink the water, hoping for relief of bladder and prostate problems, according to Knutzen.
…
“A lot of people take the mud off the wall and rub it on their skin for skin problems,” Knutzen said.
…
Similar inside to the Merry Widow, but with a more cramped, 600-foot tunnel and fewer amenities, the Earth Angel was purchased five years ago by Bill Remior. He charges $2 a day for “treatments” in his mine.A disabled World War II veteran, Remior had visited all the area’s radon mines for 20-some years before buying the Earth Angel.
“I seen what good they did me,” he said. “I figured it was the Good Lord was doing it. I’ve got a weak heart and only half a lung. But I can go good yet. It’s helped me. I seen a lot of miracles come out of here. And I never seen anything wrong.”
Probably the most hilarious comment, though, comes from Knutzen:
“Radon is a colorless, odorless gas,” said Knutzen before leading a tour of his mine. “But when you come out, you register on a Geiger counter.”
He says this like it’s a good thing. Next thing you know he’ll be telling you it’s OK if you glow in the dark as it makes reading books when the power is out a lot easier. Part of the problem, of course, is that radon is a slow killer. If it worked faster then these idiots would kill themselves off in short order and wouldn’t be around to continue to spread their stupidity to other people. It’s like that myth about a frog in a pot of water brought slowly to a boil. So long as the damage is gradual and hard to see then these idiots will continue to expose themselves to the danger. Still, I suppose that’s Darwin’s theory of natural selection at work.
Christoph asks…
Absolutely. The number of overly-credulous people in the world numbers into the hundreds of millions. The fact that you’re only able to get 10,000 idiots to soak in radioactive gas is a sign of poor marketing on your part. Compared to the number of people who buy Q-Ray Bracelets—which at least isn’t potentially dangerous to the people who use them—you guys are rank amateurs at fleecing the easily convinced.
I think its unscrupulous to market a potentially harmful carcinogen as the cure-all to a whole host of ills with studies of dubious merit. I think it’s unscrupulous to take advantage of people in vulnerable state to peddle false hope potentially preventing them from seeking help that might actually accomplish something.
Seems I’ve touched a nerve. Though I’m not sure I follow what you mean by it being “non-serious.”
Hi,
I find it both intriguing and somewhat entertaining, that one of the better collections of information on this topic appears on a website full of insults and innuendos.
The insults don’t bother me for it’s the content I’m after and I sincerely appreciate the input from all parties to facilitate an informed decision.
Thanks Again!
Kurt
It’s always been my goal to both inform and entertain.
But then I don’t see my use of the words unscrupulous and gullible as insults. They’re accurate statements. Anyone who promotes sitting around in an old mine filled with radioactive gas on the dubious claim that it will cure almost any condition is, quite frankly, being unscrupulous. And anyone who’s willing to give such claims any consideration is clearly gullible.
They’re not insults when they’re true.
At this point, my biggest concern revolves around what is considered a “safe dose”.
The quandary for me is understanding the linear no-threshold concept or LNT. My understanding is just because something is harmful with prolonged exposure doesn’t necessary mean it is harmful in short stints. So were do you draw the line becomes the question? Some will choose zero tolerance and some will choose others.
I’m not trying to convince anyone but myself that this is worth while… to each there own. My primary goal is to seek input from those with either first hand experience/knowledge or credible resource/links.
Hopefully, this might benefit others in there research on the subject.
Following is a rather interesting link:
http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/articles/nuclear.html
Thanks Again!
Kurt
Radiation is used in a variety of medical practices including the venerable x-ray so no one is claiming there aren’t valid medical uses for radiation. There’s a big difference, however, between the controlled doses of radiation used by medical professionals and sitting around in an old mine filled with radioactive gas.
I try to answer some of your statements and then will explain why your arguments are “non-serious”:
10.000 patients per year (for 55 years; radon therapy at all is more than 700 years old even when the people did not know it is radon in the water): compared to the rest of the health systems we are a rather small enterprise. Estimating if we make poor marketing or not without knowing more about us shows that your arguments don´t have any substance.
For a small enterprise 10.000 patients a year (who have to come here for 2-3 weeks) are quite a lot and if you add all radon therapy facilities in the world it is a lot more. I am only talking about one.
The experience of patients is the first step for evidence in medicine. You are very superficial maybe thinking that only high quality studies are the basis for use of medicine (50%-80% of our health systems are based on medicine having no evidence in sense of EBM (depending on the criteria you use) Do you think all the doctors around the world are wrong? For sure they are for a part of it, but I don´t think it is 50-80%.
RCTs are existing about radon therapy, there is a range of experts and doctors supporting it, in different European countries it is paid by social insurances and the people don´t sit in old mines: it is based on medical laws, therapies have to be subscribed by a doctor …
Regarding the summary of the scientific knowledge I refer to my statement above in this discussion.
Regarding the “laundry list” of conditions: please see http://www.gasteiner-heilstollen.com/en/index.php?page=med_infos_engl.php
If you understand a little bit about medicine you will see, there is a connection between all these diseases and checking the knowledge about the immunesystem and latest research about effects of radon to the immune system you might see the “laundry list” is quite understandable and for the main conditions research is existing.
I remember we have been on a better basis in this discussion already …
Les: “I think its unscrupulous to market a potentially harmful carcinogen as the cure-all to a whole host of ills with studies of dubious merit. I think it’s unscrupulous to take advantage of people in vulnerable state to peddle false hope potentially preventing them from seeking help that might actually accomplish something.”
As Kurt stated already the question if it is “a potentially harmful” is a question of the dosis and the scientific theories (LNT vs Hormesis). About low dose effects science dicusses for 30 years. In my old statement you can see what information we use on this topic.
Radon therapy helps the patients to reduce their drug use and compared to the risks of their drugs the only hypothetical risk of a rather small portion of radiation (1,8 mSv for a 3weeks treatment) is a medically well based decision of patient and doctor.
Why do you argue that we “peddle false hope”? Everything I wrote in this discussion I think shows that it is based scientifically and on a lot of experience.
I think it is “unscrupulous” to write sentences like:
Les:“But then I don’t see my use of the words unscrupulous and gullible as insults. They’re accurate statements. Anyone who promotes sitting around in an old mine filled with radioactive gas on the dubious claim that it will cure almost any condition is, quite frankly, being unscrupulous. And anyone who’s willing to give such claims any consideration is clearly gullible.
They’re not insults when they’re true.
“
Do your really think you might write about “truth” reading everything we have discussed before, considering you never have seen e.g. our treatment facility, you never have discussed with doctors treating patients with radon etc. …? Do you really think it is true?
I think everythink you wrote is a repetition of statments you argued right at the beginning, but forgot to read the discussion between again …
Why is your argumentation “non-serious” and why do I discuss with you?
A risk = 0 does not exist. Discussing about the risk of low dose exposure to radon means to discuss about a result which is smaller than the error of its measurement.
Stating “it might be dangerous” (even if you can´t measure this danger …) cannot be proven wrong. And you know it cannot be proven wrong.
But is it a serious argument as long as you hold off patients from a therapy which might be beneficial for them and reduce their risks by using drugs …?
I think it is more serious to inform them about potential benefits and potential risks (see the information in this discussion).
To prevent all those potential small risks – you are discussing about – a lot of money has to be spent all over the world. Guess what mankind could do with this money taking care about real measurable risks (maybe in developing countries)?
Do you still think it is serious to argue for small risks which cannot be falsified (because they are so small and you know it) compared to potential benefits which are much higher?
I know you still are able to continue this discussion, that´s “part of the game”. But if you are really interested please visit our facility and speak to the patients, the doctors and scientists.
If not, please continue your discussion. But maybe it would be nice to change to topic e.g. to “the potential risks of bird-flu and was it worth to spend billions worldwide to prevent a pandemia …?” Based on all your argumentation above you might be positive about this investment.
Christoph
Ooo. This should be amusing:
Yes, we know there are a lot of idiots in the world. That’s nothing new. Again I point to the millions of dollars made on craptastic “ionized” bracelets, “therapy” magnets, and penis enlargement pills as prime examples of how many gullible people there are prime for the picking.
Nonsense. People are piss-poor judges of whether or not something actually has any medicinal effect. Remember those penis enlargement pill buyers I mentioned? You’ll find there’s a decent amount of them that are convinced their dicks really are bigger as a result, but if you were to measure them before and after they started using those herbal pills you’d find there’s no effect at all. Well, none other than a lighter wallet.
Hell, in any given double blind study there’s often a good percentage of the control group using the placebo reporting an improvement in their condition in spite of the fact that they haven’t been receiving the treatment.
I don’t think it’s 50 to 80 percent either, but then I don’t think 50 to 80 percent of them use non-Evidence Based Medicine therapies. At least not the good doctors.
You’re English is a bit hard to follow. Not sure what you mean by “RCTs are existing about radon therapy.”
As for a range of experts and doctors supporting it, that doesn’t surprise me at all. There are experts and doctors that support Homeopathy as well and that has less plausibility than radon therapy. There are insurance companies that will cover all manner to quack therapies so the fact that some do doesn’t mean it works.
And, yes, in a lot of radon therapy people do sit in old mines as is the case in the original entry this thread is based on.
If that’s all you’ve got to offer then that’s pretty pathetic. There’s a whole lot of claims and little evidence to back it up.
Oh look, another long list of ailments this therapy supposedly treats. It’s interesting how these lists vary from one “spa” to another. Lot of claims there. Not much evidence to back them up.
Radon decay has an ionizing effect on genetic material and exposure to radon gas is considered the second most common cause of lung cancer next to smoking. Radon gas and its solid decay products are considered carcinogens. Without really solid evidence that exposing yourself to radon produces an actual benefit then doing so is quite stupid.
Using your argument you may as well sit around eating small amounts of arsenic in the hopes it’ll cure whatever ails you. So long as you keep it within 65 milligrams to a gram, as that’s below the lethal dosage, you should be fine and there’s always that chance that it could help, right?
You’ve yet to offer anything in the way of evidence that shows a solid benefit from radon therapy. All you’ve done is to argue that lots of people do it and lots of doctors proscribe it so it must be OK. That’s not evidence of anything other than there’s a lot of idiots in the world.
Yes, I think it’s true. From what I’ve read of radon therapy and the few studies that have been done on it I don’t see any basis for the health claims people like you put forward.
I think it’s more important to establish that it actually has some benefit before encouraging people to undertake it. No such benefit has been shown. Therefore you’re telling people to take risks on the off-chance there might be a benefit and that’s just irresponsible.
Apparently you think they should give it to you for the snake oil you’re peddling.
You’ve yet to provide anything that shows the benefits are higher than the risk involved.
As soon as you stop coming here to advertise your snake oil I’ll stop writing about it, but not before.
What kind of B.S. site is this?
I posted, or should I say attempted to post some credible evidence and it gets censored. Yet, you get to rant and rave about a bunch of unrelated garbage… and my post with well documented references get’s labeled as SPAM. That makes a lot of sense.
There is roughly a centuries worth of studies on this exact topic in Europe. You are free to ignore this just because it wasn’t invented in the good old USA. I get it, if it’s not recognized by the FDA, AMA, or EPA it couldn’t possible exist.
Ignore it if you wish and perhaps research the meaning of ignorance.
Nobody has censored anything you’ve written. If it got caught in the spam filter then it probably has been labeled as spam on some other site. We use the Akismet plugin which judges spam based on submissions from all the different sites that use the plugin. Clearly you’ve been spewing your nonsense on several sites if it got swallowed up by the spam filter.
I’ll check to see if it’s still in there and release it if it is, though I doubt it’s as credible as you claim it to be. I’d be happy to see you submit one link to a double blind study that’s been submitted to a respected medical or science journal. Naming off a bunch of “experts” who have bought into the woo-woo nonsense isn’t likely to impress.
I don’t sit around reading medical journals nor do I have easy access to anything more than a few abstracts.
Do these count?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14673…ogdbfrom=pubmed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16810…Pubmed_RVDocSum
Submitted for publication to Internat. J. Low Radiation, June 9, 2003
ONE CENTURY OF RADON THERAPY
Klaus Becker
(Vice-President, Radiation Science & Health, Boothstr. 27, D-12207 Berlin/Germany,
(e-mail prof.dr.klaus.becker@t-online.de
)), which maintains an archive
), 24-27.Loewenthal, S. (1906), Über die Einwirkung von
Abstract.
Supplementing a recent review “Health Effects of High Radon Environments in Central Europe: Another
Test for thje LKNR Hypothesis (Becker 2003), this review of medical radon applications (in particular for
the treatment of painful degenerative joint and spine diseases) covers mainly the first century of large-scale
use and scientific studies on this subject since the discovery of radon. Most of the studies and experiences
originated in Europe, in particular Germany, Austria, and the former USSR. They have in common that
they are not well known in the anglophonic scientific literature, where radon therapy is still frequently
considered a placebo-type “traditional medicine”, and not be compared with the drugs such as nonsteroid
antirheumatics. Hopwever, based on the substantial experiences as reflected in more than one thousand
papers, mostly in peer-reviewed scientific journals, on this subject, radon therapy by inhalation or bathes
has been established as an evidence-based effective treatment not only by empirical experience in different
times and cultures,, but also in randomized clinical double-blind studies. It should be further explored as an
effective alternative to the use of pharmaca. Unlike radon, drugs cause serious side-effects, with more than
ten thousand annual casualties. The benefits in the adequate use of low-dose radon exposures far exceed the
hypothetical lung cancer risk attributed to the inhalation of low radon concentrations. Further research
could provide better understanding of the mechanism of the stimulating radon effects on the body’s defense
systems.
1. Introduction.
About a century ago, the therapeutic use of the newly discovered gaseous “emanations” from the
radioactive elements radium and thorium commenced in Central Europe on a rapidly expanding scale.
However, relatively little is known in the English-language scientific and popular literature about the
therapeutic use of Rn-222, the noble gas which is a decay product of Ra-226 (with a varying contribution of
its further radioactive decay products known as radon daughters products, or progeny, in this review
summarized as “radon”). Instead, reports about the potential health hazards of radon in mines and homes,
claimed to cause large numbers of lung cancers, dominated in recent decades the scientific and popular
literature (for reviews, see Becker 2001, Becker 2002, Becker 2003). Neither a book on radon politics in
the USA (Cole 1993), nor the Radon Literature Survey Series of the U.S. DOE (e. g. Radon Epidemiology
1988), and various reports on radon effects by ICRP, NCRP, BEIR IV, BEIR VI, or UNSCEAR even
mention biopositive radon effects; and in a recent Letter exchange in a leading radiation protection journal
(Eichholz, and Huber and Ennemoser 2002) the term “radon spa” even has been suggested to be an
“oxymoron”.
It is the purposes of this review to provide a compilation for interested readers who are not familiar with the
substantial experiences and literature in Europe, where radon therapy, in particular for the treatment of
painful inflammatory and degenerative joint and spine diseases, has long been valued, with an overview of
the information and experience which has accumulated in more than one thousand scientific publications,
mostly in peer-reviewed medical journals.
There have been several stages in the history of radon therapy, including the times when it was only
indirectly known by its positive health effects millennia ago; the first decades of scientific exploration of its
properties and concentration in various sources of mineral waters after its discovery, and uses in old or
newly established therapeutic facilities. During this period, the terms “radium” and “radon” were used
frequently as synonyms, resulting in names such as “Radiumbad” in German-speaking countries. Soon the
careful medical supervision of the treatment procedures and their results was initiated with many reports on
the results, thus narrowing the sometimes very wide spectrum of applications essentially to the first known
uses, namely painful rheumatic and arthritic joint and spine diseases. In particular in the former Soviet
Union, radon therapy were studied and used, with numerous publications on this subject and over a million
of annual treatments. However, some other applications, such as the use of sealed capillaries filled with
radon for local tumour treatment in the USA, or radium compresses for external treatment of various
ailments, are not covered in this review.
Occasionally, doubts about the merits of radon therapy have been expressed and are still common in parts
of the medical community, e.g. in comparing it with various types of “traditional”, “natural”, or “folk
medicine” such as acupuncture, etc., as used for many centuries in Eastern Asia and Africa, or homeopathy,
mostly in Europe. Some of such cures have been demonstrated in serious animal and human studies as
being effective, while most of them clearly belonged into the category of “alternative medicine” based on
the firm believe in the desired effect. Radon therapy should not be confused with this type of treatments, as
well as with
- the in many cultures traditional use of hot springs for increasing the general feeling of well-being
and relieving various old-age problems (in Northern Japan, even monkeys enjoy hot springs in
winter),
- the “speleotherapy” of bronchial asthma in the allergen-free atmosphere of NaCl or KCl salt
mines, with a long tradition in Central and Southeastern Europe (e.g. the Wielizka mine near
Krakov), and
- the old habit of adding herbs, spices, salts, etc., to bathing or drinking water assumed to improve
their beneficial effects.
As it turned out, radon did not belong into this category, and in fact helped to prevent the serious side
effects of the pharmaceutical treatment of painful rheumatic and arthritic diseases: While it is estimated
that, for example, approx. 12.000 persons annually die from side effects of non-steroid antirheumatic drugs
such as ASS and diclophenac (mostly due to stomach problems and internal bleeding) in the USA, and
more than 1.000 in Germany (Jöckel 2002), no lethal complications have ever been observed from radon
treatments. In addition, it is an advantage of radon therapy that it is inexpensively available in poorer parts
of the world without affordable access to commercial pharmaceuticals for a large part of the population.
Incidentally, the term “radon spa” may be somewhat confusing, because in some countries a “spa” is more
associated with entertainment , “wellness”, weight reduction, drug abuse correction, etc.. In a modern
European radon spa, patients, with the treatment mostly paid for by the governmental health insurance,
usually stay for about three weeks in clinics and receive the radon treatment under careful medical
supervision as a prescription with careful control of the results. Nevertheless, the different and normally
more healthy and relaxed environment, stimulation by a different climate, new social contacts, and other
factors certainly contribute to a feeling of improved well-being. However, new randomized double-blind
studies demonstrated distinctive long lasting additional positive radon health effect.
2. Therapeutic experiences before the discovery of radon.
Palaeolithic offerings found near The Gastein sources in Austria suggest that already in prehistoric times
therapeutic radon effects may have been appreciated there. As far as known, the Italian island of Ischia in
the volcanic area around Naples, settled by Greeks from Euböa about 2500 y ago, has been the first place in
which warm radon sources have been used on a larger scale, and continue to be used for therapeutic
reasons (Deetjen, 1997). Antique artificial grottoes and bathing tubs cut out of the rocks cannot be exactly
dated, but have in common a high radon concentration of the water.
The first written documents on health effects observed in Ischia are by Gulio Jasolino in 1559 on “the
natural therapy on the island Ischia”, followed in 1835 by a book by J.E. Chevalley de Rivaz.. In 1917, M.
Curie discovered high radioactivity in Lacco Ameno and identified it as radon.. The treatment is usually by
inhalation or bathing, but also with sand which is also heated by emerging volcanic steam. Main indications
for treatment are arthropathies (Sunta 1997). It is likely that the use of the famous old spas in the alpine
regions of northern Italy such as Merano (2.000 Bq/L in spring water) and Lurisia (40.000 Bq/L) (S.
Genchi and B. Colombo 1997) also date back more than two thousand years to ancient Roman times.
Another example is Steben/Germany, with records of “strange properties” of a radon source from 1473,
and the medical properties of this source described in 1690 (Skorpea 1990). In other cultures such as Japan,
the radon effect (e.g. in Misasa) has also been a matter of empirical experience for many centuries.
There are numerous other locations now known as radon therapy facilities which have already been used as
spas long before knowledge of ionizing radiation and radon. It was generally known since the Middle Ages
that the miners in the silver miners of Saxony/Germany and nearby St. Joachimsthal in Bohemia (now
Czech Republic), although working under very difficult and generally unhealthy conditions and frequently
suffering (and dying early) from lung diseases ( K. Becker 2003), had less problems with arthritic and
similar diseases than the rest of the population. Therefore, the miners had sometimes uranium containing
ore residues sewn into their clothes. They drank water which originated in the mines, and the local
population used pitchblende (U ore) packages for the external treatment of inflammatory diseases (W.
Schüttmann 1987). A C. Bruschius already wrote in 1548 in a description of the high-radon
Fichtelgebirge/Germany: “Here people get very old, have few diseases, and recover quickly if they have
any.”
Known for many important medical discoveries such as the fundamental truth “It is the dose which makes a
poison”, the famous mediaeval physician Paracelsus devoted in 1525-1527 a chapter of a book on health
sources to “bat Castein” ( Bad Gastein/Austria – Windischbauer 1959), and in 1780 the “Thermis
Gasteinensibus” (Gastein thermal bathes) were the subject of a dissertation. In 1553 and 15712,
encyclopaedias about health spas were published (Van Tubergen and van der Linden 2002), and 1828 it
was noticed that the electrical properties of the waters in Gastein were different from ordinary water. Half a
century before the discovery of radioactivity, the famous German chemist Justus Liebig was advised by his
physician to visit Gastein for treatment, but at first refused to go there because his chemical analysis of the
local water showed no analytical evidence of being much different from his home tap water. After further
medical advice, Liebig eventually underwent the treatment and found relief. He concluded that an unknown
constituent, perhaps “something electric”, was responsible for this effect.
Results published in 1864 also concluded that “electricity is the main reason for the effect of the sources on
the organism” in Gastein (Sieveking 1907). Thus radon spas have been popular in quite different cultures
and at times long before radon had been identified. It was also known for a long time that water from such
sources, used long after having been bottled, did not have the healthy effects of “fresh” water, thus
indicating the presence of a fairly rapidly decaying factor in the water. .
Even after it was first pointed out in England in 1903 and almost simultaneously in Germany in 1904, that
radioactive gases are responsible for the therapeutic effects of such sources, more or less accidental
“discoveries” of positive radon health effects continue up to recently in areas where little or nothing had
been known about radon therapy. For example, some former uranium mines around Boulder/Mont./USA
such a “Free Enterprise Radon Health Mine” started operation in the early 1950’s. years. Some people even
bring ageing cats and dogs for radon inhalation, and there were a book (Lewis 1994) and a few articles in
popular journals (Singer 2001, Bethell 2002). Other, earlier attempts to establish radon therapy centers in
Canada and the USA, including “Lincoln Bath House” in Saratoga Springs/New York established in 1929,
with the capacity to treat up to 4.500 people daily. There have also been “Radium Springs” in Arkansas,
Virginia, New Mexico, Georgia, Oklahoma, and British Columbia, but little is about results of these spas
(J. Muckerheide, pers. comm.) .
3. The first decades of scientific studies on radon sources and therapy.
The history of the radon discovery has been summarized before (Schüttmann 1988). The first publication
about the radon in spa water (then called “radioactive emanation”, following a suggestion by E. Rutherford
in 1900) appeared in two reports about the thermal sources of Gastein/Austria in 1904 (Mache 1904a and
Mache 1904b). Mache also introduced the first unit for radon activity concentrations, which was named
after him (Mache-Einheit, ME) and mostly used in the German/Austrian literature, while the anglophonic
countries preferred the “Curie” that had been introduced in 1910. One ME corresponds to 364 pCi/L. Other
units have occasionally been used, e.g. the “Stat” (St), with 1 ME = 1 mSt/L, and the “Eman”, with 1 ME
equivalent to 3.64 Eman. Other unusual units also appeared, and rather quickly disappeared. In summary, 1
Ci corresponds to 37 GBq, 1Bq is 27 pCi, or 1 ME equivalent to13.5 Bq/L. Other units are the potential
Alpha-Energy Concentration (PAEC) and the Working Level (WL), from which the Working-Level Month
has been derived as a product of concentration and exposure time. It is nowadays mostly used for miner
exposures ( Rühe 1992), and concentrations are usually presented according to the SI system in Bq/L for
water, and Bq/m³ for air. In this review, all values have been translated into Bq.
In 1906, a list of the radon content in more than 30 sources in 11 spas in Austria, Bohemia, Germany and
Italy has been published (Sieveking 1906), with values up to 80.000 Bq/L in Gastein/Asuria, 70.000 Bq/L
in Baden/Germany, and 182.000 Bq/L in Schlema/Germany (Hindenburgquelle) (Ebert and Keßler 1990).
Currently, the Wettinerquelle in Brambach/Germany is considered the world’s strongest, but there are also
Japanese claims to this record. The information about the activity of sources sometimes varies substantially
due to specific conditions and uncertainties in the measurements, fluctuations in the source strength,
evaporation of radon as a function of interaction time with the atmosphere, exact location, atmospheric
condition, and many other factors. In one booklet (Ebert 1999), for example, values measured in
March/April 1913 are given as 54.000 Bq/L in Schlema/Germany in a source not available any more,
30.000 Bq/L in Brambach/Germany, 5.000 Bq/L on Ischia/Italy, and only 3.000 Bq/L in Gastein/Austria.
In some cases, high values have been claimed in order to make a spa more competitive. In Regarding radon
concentrations in the air of caves, former mine shafts, and other underground facilities, claimed radon
concentrations require careful investigation regarding the conditions and duration of the measurements. For
example, in a “hospital cave” in Hungary, variations between < 1.000 Bq/m³ in winter and 22.000 Bq/m³ in
summer have been measured. In another cave (Pal Valley Cave), the radon level dropped from 2.500 Bq/m³
to essentially zero within three hours due to a cold weather front on Dec, 21, 1994 (Szerbin 1996 and
1997). Such pronounced fluctuations can to some degree be averaged by long term (3-12 months)
integrating measurements by modern electronic or track etching detectors, but even then a reliability better
than 20-30 % can hardly be expected, and all values expressed in three or even four digit numbers indicate
a profound lack of understanding radon metrology.
It should be emphasized that the interest in radon therapy had little or no relation to the popular fashion
between about 1910 and 1940, mostly in Europe, to attribute a multitude of healing powers to radium.
There have not only been external sources such as Ra-impregnated bed blankets and compresses, but more
importantly for Ra intake. For example, radium was added to many “health food” items such as crackers,
tea, coffee, and chocolate. A German patent of 1931 (Senftner 1931/1936) describes how by adding
radium bromide radioactive chocolate can be made. There are numerous publications describing such
unconventional ways of health applications of Ra and as well as radon, e.g. in Ra-containing “emanators”
for producing radon drinking water. Many of these activities may nowadays be considered just as historical
footnotes, while there seems, in the light of modern research on beneficial low-dose effects, to be more
than a grain of truth in others, as hormesis has to be considered a central issue in modern toxicology
(Calabrese and Baldwin 2003).
Radon treatments can be carried out by inhalation from “natural” sources, e.g. in mine shafts or caves, or
by bathing in Rn-containing water. Drinking radon water became less common in recent decades. Of
course, radon can also be produced independently from the availability of natural sources by extracting it
from radium or other sources – first proposals for the therapeutic use in 1903 in England actually suggested
the inhalation of thorium emanation for the treatment of tuberculosis (Soddy 1903); in 1904. First results of
such a treatment have been published (Sharp 1904). Radon uptake into the human body was studied in
Germany (Elster and Geitel 1904). First radon treatments were carried out in Vienna (Neusser and
Dautwitz 1905), including experiments with the external application of uranium ore material, or uraniumcontaining
sand in bathtubs in order to produce radon-containing water. The first specific application for
acute and chronic rheumatism of joints was reported in 1907 in Bohemia (Kraus 1907), and a physician in
Braunschweig/Germany (Loewenthal 1906) studied, using radon water made from Ra compounds, whether
“in small concentrations emanation causes any constant reactions in the health of the human body”.
He treated patients for chronic joint rheumatism, and noticed that their reaction was very similar to those in
spas. Further studies were summarized in two books by German scientists in 1912 and 1913 on radium
therapy, biology, and research (Loewenthal 1912, Lazarus 1913). Many of these early studies were
performed by bathing in water prepared by long-time submersion of cloth-wrapped uranium ore residues in
special water barrels.. Several of the early investigators also looked for possible detrimental health effects,
but could not find any. First treatments with natural radon water (besides the traditional spas) at new
locations selected for the high radon concentrations in the effluents of mines took place in St.
Joachimsthal/Bohemia in 1906 with 43 patients. Almost all of them were treated for goat, chronic
rheumatism, and neuralgic problems, and the results were described as “extremely successful” (Gottlieb
1907). In 1910 already 373, and 2.476 patients in 1913 came for treatment, and a Governmental Spa
Institution opened its facilities in 1911. Between 1910 and 1912, the world-famous “Radium Palace Hotel”
was built. It is still in operation with its facilities usually filled to capacity.
Around the same time, traditional spas with high radon concentration, such as Gastein/Austria and Baden-
Baden/Germany, had started to offer specific radon treatments. Probably the first traditional spa that
installed an overground radon inhalation facility “inhalatorium” was Bad (Aschoff 1912). It reopened in
1974 (Muth 1974). Treatment has also taken place in mine shafts since 1912, and overground inhalation
facilities were established in France.
In Brambach/Germany, in 1910 the at this time strongest source was discovered (30.000 Bq/L).. A typical
example for the increase of patients inthe new radon spas was the “Radiumbad Oberschlema”/Germany,
also close to St. Joachimsthal, with a steady increase of patients from 300 in 1918 to 17.000 in 1943. In
1937, the Institute of Biophysics of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Society in Frankfurt established a dependance
especially for radon research in Schlema (Schüttmann and Aurand 1991). At the end of WW II, the
activities in Schlema were abruptly stopped, because the area became one of the world` s largest uranium
mining centers, supplying until 1989 about 240.000 t of uranium for the Soviet nuclear arms program. Only
after the end of the Cold War, the Schlema Spa successfully reopened in 1998 (Schüttmann 1994, Ebert
and Keßler 1998).
The history of radioactive springs in Japan, which is one of the countries with most hot springs in the
world, dates back to 1909, and a review on the mineral springs of Japan was already published in 1915.
Most of them are radon springs, but some are also high in thoron. Best known are the springs of Misasa
with a radon level up to 3.000 Bq/L in the Gunze-no-yu source, but there are other sources in Masutomi,
Ikeda, etc., in which much higher concentrations, one of them believed to be with up to 130.000 Bq/L to be
the strongest in the world. Many studies on various aspects of radon therapy including pharmakokinetics,
clinical experiences, etc. (most of them written or directed by Y. Oshima) were carried out in Japan
(Morinaga 1958).
Further progress in the investigation of radon sources also proceeded in Europe, e.g. in the Nahe
Valley/Germany (Wagner 1938). In other countries such as Israel, the radioactivity of sources was explored
(Rosenblatt and Lindeman 1952). The search for new strong radon sources, and their possible use for
establishing a radon spa, still continues. For example, the Fichtelgebirge in Northeastern Bavaria/Germany
is known for high radon concentrations in water and air (values exceeding 700.000 Bq/m³ have been
measured in the air of a public water supply facility in the city of Hof in this area). The creation of a radon
spa has been considered there (G. Bach et al. 1989) and in other parts of Europe. Several international
organizations are involved in the study and promotion of radon balneology. The International Society for
Medical Hydrology and Climatology (ISMH) is represented in 42 countries, with sections in Germany,
France, Spain, Portugal, and Belgium (Pratzel 1994). This organization issued in 1995 Guidelines for
Radon Balneology (Pratzel 1995), and an International Committee on Radon in Medicine (ICRM) exists
within this society.
In the Association of German Radon Spa Physicians, about 14 German and Austrian radon spas treating
approx. 75.000 patients annually are associated. A periodical is since 1994 almost completely devoted to
radon balneology (Sansoni 1994). Furthermore, in 1991 a Radon Information and Documentation Center
“RADIZ” has been established by K. Aurand (Curiestr. 3, D-08301 Schlema/Germany, Phone/Fax
x493772-22926, e-mail RadizeV@t-inline.de
of literature related to radon therapy and publishes brochures (about 20 so far) dealing with radon-related
issues (Ebert 2001).
There are several recent books on radon therapy (e.g. Pratzel and Deetjen 1997), and numerous national
and international conferences have been largely devoted to radon therapy. To mention only a few which
took place more recently:
- Physical, Biological, and Medical Effects of Low-dose Ionizing Radiation, Bad Münster am Stein
1984 (Dirnagl 1984),
- Biological and Therapeutic Effects of Radon, Bad Hofgastein 1987 (Deetjen 1988),
- Physical, Biological and Therapeutic Effects of Low-dose Ionizing Radiation, Bad Münster am
Stein 1989 (Deetjen 1990),
- 2nd Biophysical Workshop ( Schlema 1991),
- Internat. Symp. of Techniques and Curative Treatment with Radon, Deneschi/Ukraina 1992
(Sansoni 1992),
- Benefits and Risks of Low Doses of Ionizing Radiation, Schlema/Germany, Oct.4-6, 1993
(Aurand et al, 1995),
- International Symposium Radon in Health Resort Medicine, Ischia/Italy, April 5-10, 1994
- Radon and Health, Gastein(Asutria 1998 (Deetjen and Falkenbach 1999)
- 3rd Biophysical Workshop on Medical and Biological Effects of Radon Balneology and Low
Radiation exposures, Sept. 7-9, 2001 (Schlema 2002).
There have also been numerous international meetings in which the emphasis has been more on residential
radon measurements under the aspect of possible lung cancer induction (e.g. Burkart et al. 2002, Peter et
al. 2002, Sarenio Ed. 2002). The highly controversial issue of risk/cost/benefit assessment for residential
and industrial radon, and the very substantial literature on this subject (Becker 2003) is, however, not a
topic of this review.
4. Radon therapy of degenerative diseases of joints and spine in Western Europe
Among the currently best known radon treatment centers with medical supervision are in
- Germany: Bad Brambach, Bad Kreuznach, Bad Münster am Stein, Schlema, Sibyllenbad, Bad
Steben,
- Austria: Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein, Bad Zell,
- France: Plombieres,
- Italy: Ischia, Meran,
- Russia: Pyatigorsk, and
- Japan: Misasa.
In addition, there are numerous less known radon therapy centers, for example nine in Greece with radon
concentrations up to 8.000 Bq/L in Ikaria (Kriditis et al. 1986), inhalation facilities in several health spas in
France, as well as bathing sources in which radon is not the dominating component, but used in
combination with minerals, SH2, and CO2.
Painful inflammatory or chronic rheumatic and arthritic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, have
historically been the first indications for radon treatment. They are among the most widespread health
problems in humans even before middle age (see TIME cover article of June 9, 2003: “The coming
epidemic of Arthritis”), and still remain the primary indication for radon therapy. There are also related
illnesses, such as spondylitis ankylosans, a painful permanent bending if the spine known also as Morbus
Bechterew. It occurs in around 0.1 to 5 % of the population, depending on geographic region. In Europe,
the rate is around 0.2 %, and it already becomes evident between 16 and 40 y of age. Among the about
7.000 annual patients in Gastein/Austria, most are treated for this disease (Falkenbach 1996, Falkenbach
and Wolter 1997, Falkenbach 2001). In a careful recent study, it has been found that the radon group
showed a clear reduction in the pain and improvement of the spine flexibility up to nine months after the
treatment (G. Lind-Albrecht 2002). Most of the current results of radon balneology have been published in
German (e.g. Falkenbach et al. 1996), with only recently some articles also appearing in English (Franke et
al. 2000, Falkenbach 2001). Of particular interest in the Morbus Bechterew therapy are studies about the
combination of radon therapy and exercise treatment (Van Tubergen and Hidding 2002), which clearly
show the superiority of the added radon treatment, with the longer lasting effect clearly compensating the
higher cost of such a combination.
5. Current status of radon therapy and randomized double-blind studies
There still remained doubts about the effect of radon treatments in large parts of the medical and scientific
community, because it contradicted the widespread regulatory paradigm of lung-cancer inducing effects of
the alpha radiation from radon down to very small doses. One of the problems in the quantification of painreducing
effects is that there exists not yet a method for precisely measuring chronic pain. There are,
however, well-established methods such as the application of a defined spot pressure (in kg/cm²) to
established pain-sensitive “tender points” (Fig. 1) on a scale between zero and unbearable pain, and using
this scale as a rather well reproducible cohorts. Complicating factors may be confounders, such as other
constituents of the mineral waters, and the difficulty to carry out double-blind studies in underground
inhalation facilities.
This situation changed after 1990 with randomized clinical prospective double-blind studies, with neither
the patient nor the medical staff knowing about the identities of those in the control (placebo) and the radon
groups, and with both groups treated under otherwise identical conditions. Such tests are generally
considered as “the gold standard” in medicine for demonstrating therapeutic success. The pioneering work
was done in the German radon spa Schlema in 1992, and repeated in Bad Steben in 1995, by Pratzel of
Munich University (Pratzel 1992, 1994, and 1997, Pratzel et al. 1997). The results of these tests carried out
as schematically described in Fig. 2, were rather unambiguous (Fig. 3 and 4). The radon concentrations in
the bathes were 3.000 Bq/L in Schlema and 800 Bq/L in Bad Steben. In Schlema the patients also received
other standardized treatments such as massages and gymnastics, but not in Bad Steben.
In natural sources the situation is frequently complicated by the presence of confounders such as minerals,
SH2, and CO2, which also may have biopositive effects interacting with those of radon. There are several
studies on this subject. For example, in Bad Brambach/Germany 30 patients each have been treated for
rheumatoid arthritis with water containing both CO2 plus radon, and with CO2 only (Reiner 1998, Skorpea
1999). Using a combination of several indicators as a relieve parameter, there was no significant difference
between the two groups at the end of the treatment, but a significantly longer lasting relieve for the radon
group than the CO2 group three and six months after the treatment. In summary, the results of four
randomized double-blind studies which were performed between 1993 and 1997 (Reiner 2002) are show in
comparison with the control groups (Fig. 5), the bars indicating the 95 % confidence limits. Short term
effects are given in the upper third, mid-term effects in the middle, and long-term effects in the lower part.
The summary of all studies is given on the bottom line.
There also have been studies in which no positive radon effects could be demonstrated. For example, the
indication “peripherical circulatory disturbances” cannot be derived from radon effects on skin blood flow
(Knorr et al. 1990), and ergometric measurements of the heart frequency could not demonstrate relevant
changes in the cardio-pulmonary system (Leiner and Aigner 1984).
6. Radon therapy in the former Soviet Union
This topic, overlapping with and supplementing the progress in Western Europe, deserves special attention
because of the volume of research as well as the number of applications. For example, around 1984 about
ten million (!) radon applications were delivered to one million patients annually in spas, sanatoriums, and
in outpatient departments of the USSR health system (W. M. Bogolyubov et al. 1984). The reasons which
made it one of the most popular types of balneology among patients as well as physicians were the easy
accessibility, safety, efficiency, and low cost of such treatments. It was carried out mostly with “artificial”
radon obtained from a wide network of radium sources from which the radon gas was locally extracted.
Also in other countries such as Germany, radon emanation equipment for drinking or bathing at home was
still available in the 1950s. (Aures 2003).
There are at least one thousand publications in Russian journals and conference proceedings on this
subject, among them ca. by S. A. Andreev of All Union Research Center for Medical Rehabilitation and
Physical Therapy in Moscow and his colleagues. Another center of radon therapy and research was
Pjatigorsk in the Caucasus Mountains with sources of 2.700 Bq/L. About one hundred of the more
important papers became available in German translations, which, together with some reviews ( B. Legler
1994), are the basis of the this brief summary.
First investigations about radioactivity in Russian spas date back to 1902-1903. Therapeutic concentrations
of radon in mineral waters were found 1911 in Pyatigorsk and Tshaltubo. Between 1909 and 1914, wellequipped
radiological laboratories in Omsk, Odessa, Moscow and St. Petersburg have been established, and
carried out investigations on radon therapy. In 1920 (after interruptions by WW I, revolution and civil
war), a State Institute for Balneology was founded in Pyatigorsk. Around 1922-23, in Petrograd (St.
Petersburg) the first strong (1 g) radium sources has been used for distribution of radon to other treatment
facilities. Careful studies on the preparation of radon sources, radon dosimetry, absorption properties,
uptake through the skin, pharmakinetics, etc., followed during the next decades. In particular, because
radon concentrations and other parameters including temperature, added CO2 and other gases, could easily
be varied with the “artificial” radon sources, and with the compliance of the study groups being excellent,
many systematic investigations in this area have been performed. During 1955-1960, hundreds of radon
laboratories were established for the daily production of radon for therapeutic use.
After 1960, investigations centred on radiation protection issues related to radon therapy (organ doses, etc.,
Andreev 1973), radiobiology, new therapeutic equipment, pharmakinetics of radon in the body (Andreev
1971), radon penetration through the skin (Andreev 1989), comparisons with placebo groups, etc. This also
led to the demonstration of radiation hormesis (Andreev and Selenezkaya 1998). To quote from a summary
report: “The received data irrefutably showed the presence of therapeutic effects of small doses of ionizing
radiation (hormetic curves in clinics) which cannot only be revealed, but assessed numerically by properly
organized research.”
During this period, the daily number of radon applications with improved equipment (Gussarov et al.
1980), under medical control, and according to governmental radiation protection regulations, increased up
to 5.000 for each of the many radon treatment facilities (Gusarov and Andreev 1972). Later, with the risks
associated with very high radon doses becoming better known, risk/benefit assessments of radon treatments
were studied in more detail (Gussarov and Andreev 1983, Bogoljobov and Andreev 1985). There was
limited access to international literature, and contacts to Western scientists (during WW II and the Stalinist
post-war period, contacts with Western European scientists and references to their work were prohibited.
Not much is known about the current status of radon balneology in the former SU states, but it could also
have suffered from the breakdown of social structures and governmental health services in the post-Soviet
area.
There were many types of radon application there, including full or partial bathes in bathtubs and
swimming pools, with and without other balneological components being added; partial or full-body air
exposures, with or without air circulation (for two typical devices, Fig. 6 after Bogoljubow 1990);
inhalation (with or without decay products); irrigation of nose, mouth, rectum, vagina; and local
applications (ointments, packages, etc.). The spectrum of indications which has been tried more or (often
less) successfully is also very wide, including
- heart and circular problems (hypertonia, etc.),
- blood circulation (artherosclerosis, thrombophlebitis),
- pulmonary problems (bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis),
- inflammatory or degenerative diseases of the skeleton (which is in Western Europe nowadays the
primary indication),
- diseases of the nervous system (e.g. neurosis),
- chronic inflammations, sterility and climacteric problems in gynaecology,
- skin diseases (psoriasis, neurodermitis, chronic eczema), and
- gastrites, ulcus ventriculi. .
The best results were obtained with rheumatic diseases, in gynaecology, skin diseases and hypertension.
The contraindications in the SU clinics have been similar to those in Western Europe: Acute infections,
psychic diseases, pregnancy, tumors, active tuberculosis, epilepsy, acute serious diseases of internal organs,
infected open wounds, and haematological irregularities. Alcohol was also forbidden during the treatment,
and a classification of radon concentrations in water used for treatments has been used, with low
concentrations up to 500 Bq/L, medium concentrations up to 3.000 Bq/L, and higher concentrations above
this level. Among the many interesting results of the Russian studies, those about the relation between
radon concentration and desirable health effect (Fig. 7)are of particular interest ( Davidova 1984, Andreev
1990). Obviously, the dose-effect relation in patients with recidivous rheumatism (in the state of minimal
process activity, using 15 bathes of 10 min. each) shows a clear maximum in the improvement of the
patients around 3.000 Bq/m³, corresponding to a skin dose of about 2 mSv.
In another study (Strelkova et al.1980), various rheumatic diseases have been investigated, in for instance
with groups of 148 patients each with cervical pain syndrome. In the response to 12 bathes at different
radon concentrations, in comparison with the control group with ordinary water, 25 % showed
improvement with normal water, 40 % at 500 Bq/L, and 55 % at 5.000 Bq/L. However, undesirable side
effects were observed above 2.500 Bq/L. Further summaries of the substantial Russian activities in radon
balneology are scattered in the literature (Tauchert 1972, Bogoljukov and Andreev 1994, and Davydova
1994).
6. Mechanism and pharmakokinetics of radon effects.
There are at least three reasons why the positive effects of low radiation exposures have not yet been fully
explained:
- Experiments on the molecular or cellular level are difficult to extrapolate to the effects on the
whole organism, which involves complex compensation and repair mechanisms such as apoptosis,
adaptive response, bystander effects, and positive stress stimulation.
- Epidemiological studies frequently fail in the low-dose range because of serious confounders, such
as smoking in the case of lung cancer, or too large populations required to obtain conclusive
results.
- In the current structure of public and governmental support for radiation effects research, emphasis
is on detrimental health effects, with biopositive (therapeutic) aspects frequently being ignored as
disturbing for the official paradigms, governmental regulations, and official anti-radon campaigns.
This general situation explains to some extent why the experimental animal and human studies regarding
the mechanism of biopositive radon effects has, despite intense research in many countries, not yet been
able to completely clarify the mechanism of therapeutical radon effects. There is a long history of
metabolic and radon effect studies which is impossible to cover in a brief review. As an example, a study
about the effect of radioactive thermal water on the inactivation of noradrenalin (Wense 1955) may be
mentioned, or “the stimulation of natural killer cells, anti-oxidant compounds, and DNA repair enzymes,
and a decrease in C-reactive protein” (Van Tubergen and Hidding 2002).
According to Russian research (Andreev et al. 1990), the radon in bathing water penetrates the skin and
forms a depot accumulating up to 60 % of the radon uptake, and reaching 20-30 % of the radon
concentration in the water. The radon is then absorbed in the fatty tissues, and the radon daughter products
are accumulated in the kidneys. The organ doses for a 15 min. bath at 1.500 Bq/L has been calculated at 0.1
mSv for the skin, 0.003 mSv for the kidney, and 0.0015 mSv for body fat. Two hours after bathing, only 10
% of the original radon intake still remained in the body. Short-lived radon daughters contribute about 70
% to the absorbed dose. Diffusion of free radicals produced in the skin may contribute to the effect by
affecting skin receptors and regulatory mechanisms.
Recently, the more general explanations such as stimulation of the immune system (Soto 1997) have been
replaced by more detailed studies including the influence on Langerhans cells, increase in the encephaline
level, reduction of oxygen radicals in the neutrophiles and macrophages, influences on homoeostasis,
factors influencing the attachment of leukocytes at joint tissues, etc. For example, in a series of animal (rat)
experiments by a Japanese group (Ma et al. 1996), the effect of inhaled radon on the activity of an
important enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD) in different tissues has been investigated as a function of
the radon concentration, showing substantial stimulating effects in liver and kidney. In summary, unlike the
essentially pain-relieving non-steroid drugs, the radon effect is by most experts nowadays considered
primarily based on a stimulation of the defensive immune system, and therefore to be classified as not only
evidence-based, but at least partially explainable modern medicine on the cellular and whole-body levels.
There are recent studies on the surprisingly long-lasting radon progeny activity on skin and hair after
exposure to the humid warm air in the Gastein mine shaft (Falkenbach et al. 2002). Due to these high
adhesive properties, the period of exposure of the Langerhans cells is extended, with perhaps systemic
effects mediated by their alteration. On the other hand, as demonstrated in measurements of radon
exhalation rates in persons submersed in radon water and other investigations such as the transfer of
unattached radon daughter products from the pulmonary tract to the blood of humans (Butterweck et al.
2002), the half-life of radon in the body has repeatedly been confirmed to be the order of only 20-60 min.
to a few hours, depending somewhat of the aerosol size distribution in case of inhalation. Radon
accumulates primarily in fatty tissues. In one of those studies, the transfer of radon through the skin to the
lungs and exhalation has been examined in humans, resulting in an almost complete exhalation 50 min.
after the commencement of a 24 min. bath (Grunewald and Grunewald 1995).
Already in 1911, an increased excretion of purin bases and uric acid in urine was observed as a result of
radon treatments, which was a positive aspect for the treatment of gout, but also seemed to indicate a
destruction of nucleoproteids (Meseritzky 1911). It was recommended to restrict the radon concentration in
drinking treatments to 14.000 Bq/L. In the same year, it was reported that the oral application of radon
leads to a fast transfer to placenta, foetus, and mother’s milk (Lazarus 1911). Those studies (Schraub 1958)
indicate an early interest in potential radon health risks. On the other hand, it was shown that fractionated
alpha radiation (2-4 h/d), in addition to the normal environmental exposure, did not increase, but decreased
the number of chromosome aberrations due to a stimulation of repair mechanisms (Pohl-Rüling et al.
1979).
8. Dose Levels, Administrative Questions, and Outlook.
The annual effective dose equivalent to patients (assuming one sequence of radon treatments) is usually in
the order of 0.1 to 3 mSv and thus within the normal fluctuations of natural background exposure levels.
However, the treatment personnel (doctors, nurses, drivers of patient trains) may receive up to approx. 100
mSv according to one study (Kritidis et al. 1986). In other investigations (Andreev 1995), the skin dose
amounted to less than 1-3 mSv for a series of applications in bathes, 1 mSv lung dose by inhalation, and <
0.1 mSv for the stomach for drinking radon water. Other authors (e.g. Tempfer et al. 2003) confirm these
values. Nevertheless, one of the problems for the more widespread use of radon therapy are governmental
radiation protection regulations, which are based on the ICRP/IAEA/NCRP/EU assumption of the hazards
associated with radon. It was well established in recent years that there is a threshold around 600 to 1.000
Bq/m³ in air for the permanent intake, in particular at home and at the working place in areas of high
natural U/Ra geological situations, for the lung cancer induction by radon in humans. However, essentially
all observed effects essentially can be attributed to cigarette consumption (see recent reviews, based on
investigations by Conrady, Martin et al.: Becker 2001, Becker 2002, and Becker 2003).
Nevertheless, the new “radon protection” regulations to be legally enforced in several countries make it
difficult or impossible to establish new radon treatment facilities there. In others (such as Austria, Czechia,
and Germany) with a long tradition in this field, radon therapy with natural water or air sources is at least
tolerated by the authorities, as long as the personnel working there is supervised by personnel monitoring
devices according to the regulations for “radiation workers”, using passive track etching polymer track
etching detectors, or new electronic systems. The practice of producing “artificial” radon by extracting the
gas from radium sources seems not to be legal any more. (Ulrich 1994).
Among some other problems in the more widespread application of radon balneology are:
1. The radiophobic syndrome caused by anti-nuclear political and media campaigns scaring many
potential patients.
2. National health insurance systems, with increasing financial problems due to the demographic and
economic situation in Western Europe, are in the process of reducing their services by excluding
from their coverage “natural treatments” such as mineral and radon spas.
3. Governmental organizations split between those responsible for radiation protection, and others in
charge of public health. While the first promote the public “dangers” due to even low residential
and professional radon exposures (Schüttmann 1997, Becker 2003), the health authorities are
becoming reluctant to promote research in areas which some public health administrators still
consider not part of evidence-based medicine..
4. Last but probably not least, the influential lobby of the pharmaceutical industry is more interested
in promoting the profitable large-scale use of non-steroid antirheumatic drugs, and succeeded to
convince most of the medical community of this form of therapy instead of exploring the drugfree
and relatively inexpensive radon treatments.
In conclusion: Radon, which is the largest contributor to natural population exposures, has been declared by
several international and national radiation advisory bodies and regulators to be a powerful carcinogen
causing, for example, 37.000 lung cancer deaths p.a. in Germany. At the same time, it has been
successfully used as an effective evidence-based therapy against rheumatic and arthritic degenerative
diseases for many centuries even without being known, and even more so after its discovery about one
century ago. It is well known that the same physical or chemical agent may, depending on dose and other
factors, have detrimental as well as beneficial health effects. Obviously, hormetic effects of stressants
including ionizing radiation are more the rule than the exception in all areas of pharmacology, toxicology,
etc., as well as for radiation effects (Hendriksen and Maillee 2003, Calabrese and Baldwin 2003).
Regarding radon therapy, it could for precautionary reasons be assumed that there may indeed be some
negative effect at very high radon levels, and on particularly sensitive persons such as children and
pregnant women, which may thus be excluded from treatment. On the other hand, the beneficial effects on
people with painful degenerative joint and spine problems far outweigh such minimal, and to a large degree
hypothetical, potential risks, and should not prevent the therapeutic application of radon under medical
control, for the benefits of the patients as well as from a cost reduction point of view (Van Tubergen et al.
2001 – Fig. 8).
There is also increasing evidence of hormetic effects on the occurrence not only of lung cancer at aboveaverage
residential radon rates (Conrady et al. 2002), but also on other types of unpleasant health effects
such as the occurrence of birth defects (Leichsenring 2002). Therapeutic radon uses appear to deserve
further investigation, and could promote the understanding of beneficial radiation health effect in the low
to medium dose range in gereneral.
Acknowledgements.
This review has been partially supported by the Low Dose Research Laboratory of the Central Research
Institute of the Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), Tokyo, Japan. The author gratefully appreciates valuable
information and references from several colleagues, in particular H. G. Pratzel and J. R. Cameron.
References.
(Remarks: It was impossible to comprehensively analyze all publications on this subject. Many of them, in
particular historical and Russian publications, are not accessible electronically and/or ISBN/ISSN. Also,
the multitude of media reports, newspaper articles and other less reliable sources have not been quoted, but
several earlier reviews are included up to early 2003, contaioning a large number of additional references.
The reader may also consult “Radon balneology” under PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
< http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov>.
Allen, H.S. (1903), Radio-active gas from Bath mineral waters, Nature 68, 343Andreev, S. V. (1973), Die
Bestrahlung des menschlichen Organismus bei der Radonbehandlung, in: Kurfaktoren in der Prävention
und Behandlung von chronischen Erkrankungen, Moscow, 12-18.Andreev, S. V. (1989), Haut und die
Eindringtiefe der Wasserbad-Inhaltsstoffe in den Organismus während der Balneotherapie, in: Fragen der
Kurwissenschaft und Physiotherapie, Verlag Zdorowje, 15-21Andreev, S.V. (1995), Mißverständnis oder
Absicht?, Internat. Environm. Consult. NewsletterAndreev, S.V. (1971), Über die Speicherung der
langlebigen Zerfallsprodukte des Radons im Patientenkörper bei Radonapplikationen, Fragen d. Kurwiss.
Physiotherapie 5, 397-401Andreev, S.V., and V. S. Selenezkaya (1989), Hormesiskonzeption im Rahmen
des Problems der stimulierenden Wirkung von geringen Dosen chemisch-physikalischer Reize. Fragen d.
Kurortwissenschaft, Physiotherpie u. Heilbäderkultur 6, 68-75 Aschoff, K. (1912), Zur Einweihung des
neuen Radium-Inhalatoriums (Faksimile by Raabdruck, Bad Kreuznach 1974)Aurand, K., et al. (Ed.)
(1995), Nutzen und Risiko bei der Einwirkung kleiner Dosen ionisierender Strahlung, Dresden (ISSN
0949-8540) Aures, R. (2003), Radium-Trinkkuren für Gesundheitsbewusste, Strahlenschutzpraxis 9/1),
62Bach, G., K. Reul, and B. Sansoni (1989), Gebiete mit erhöhter natürlicher Radioaktivität, VI Diskussion
über die Errichtung eines Radon-Heilbades in Fichtelberg-Neubau, Rep. Jül-Spe-536, ISSN-7639Becker,
K. (2000), Is residential radon dangerous? In: The Effects of Low and Very low Doses of Ionizing Rad. on
Human Health, Excerpta Medica Internat. Congr. Series 1203, 173-191 (ISBN 0-444-50513-x)Becker, K.
(2001), How Much Protection Against Radon Do We Need? Centr. Europ. J. of Occup. and Environm.
Medicine 7(3-4), 168-177Becker, K. (2003), Health Effects of High Radon Environments in Central
Europe, Nonlinearity (CRC) Press) 1, in pressBethell, T. (2002), Underdosed – Could toxins and radiation
be good for you? The American Spectator, July/August 2002, 54-60Bogoljubov, and S. V. Andreev (1985),
Zum Problem der Risikoeinschätzung während der Radontherapie, Kurortwiss. Physiother. 20/1, 27-33
(Sofia/Bulgaria)Bogoljubov, V. M., and S. A. Andreev (1994), klinisch-biologische Aspekte der
Radontherapie, Internat. Environm. Consult. Newsletter 1/94, 16-22Bogoljubov, W. M., S. V. Andrejev, K.
M. Rjasanzev (1984), Struktur und organisatorische Grundlagen des radontherapeutischen Netzes in der
UdSSR, Z. Phys. Baln. Med. Klim (Sonderheft 1) 13, 40-43Bogoljubow, O. B. Dvydowa, S. V. Andrejew
(1990), Radon-Luftbäder in der UdSSR: Forschung und Einsatz, Z. Phys. Med. Baln. Med. Klim.
(Sonderheft 2), 19, 90-98Booklet published by Gemeindeverw. Schlema et al.Burkart, W., et al. (Ed.)
(2002), High Levels of Natural Radiation and Radon Areas : Radiation dose and Health Effects, Expcerpta
Medica Int. Congr. Ser.. 1225, ISBN 0-444-50863-5 Butterweck, G., et al. (2002), Experimental
determination of the absoprption rate of unattached radon progeny from resporatory tract to blood. Radiat.
Protect. Dos. 102/4, 343-348 Calabrese, E. J., and L. A. Baldwin (2003), Toxicology rethinks its central
belief. Nature 421/13 Feb., 691-692Cole, L.A. (1993), Element of Risk – The Politics of Radon, AAAS
Press, ISBN 0-87165-513-2Conrady, J., et al. (2002), Die Schätzung des Lungenkrebsrisikos durch Radon
bei Nichtrauchern, in: 3. Biophysikal. Arbeitstagung 7-9. Sept. 2001, Schlema, 196-208Dautwitz, F.
(1905), Beitrag zur biologischen Wirkung der radioaktiven Uranpecherzrückstände aus St. Joachimsthal,
Wien. Klein. Wschr. 18, 1104 – see also Z. f. Heilkunde (Prag, Wien) 27, 81-96 (1906)Davidova, O. B.
(1984), Einfluss von künstlich hergestellten Radonbädern mit verschiedenen Radonkonzentrationen auf
Erscheinungsformen des Rheumatismus mit verzögertem Verlauf. In: 4. Tagung d. Physiotherapeuten u.
Kurortärzte der Russ. Föderat. 17.-19. Okt., Sverdlovsk, 102-103Davydova, O. B., et al. (1994),
Therapeutische Anwendungen von Radon-Luft-Bädern, Intern. Environm. Consult. Newsletter 1/94, 23-
33Deetjen , P. (1997), Epidemiology and Biological Effects of Radon, in: H. G. Pratzel and P. Deetjen,
Radon in der Kurortmedizin (ISBN 3-9804437-2-8) 33-39Deetjen, P. (Ed.)(1988), Biologische und
therapeutische Effekte von Radon, Z. Phys. Med. Baln. Med. Klim. 17, Sonderheft 1Deetjen, P.
(Ed.)(1990), Physikalische, biologische und therapeutische Effekte niedrig dosierter ionisierender
Strahlung, Z. phys. Med. Baln. Med. Klim. 19, Sonderheft 2Deetjen, P., and A. Falkenbach (Ed.)(1999),
Radon und Gesundheit, ISBN 3-631-35532-7Dirnagl, K. (Ed.)(1984), Z., Physikalische, biologische und
medizinische Wirkungen niedrig dosierter ionisierender Strahlung, Z. Phys. Med. Baln. Med. Klim. 13,
Sonderheft 1Ebert, M. (2001), 10 Jahre RADIZ 1991-2001, Radiz-Information 19/2001 SchlemaEbert, M.,
and W. Kessler (1990) Schlemas Wässer wirkten Wunder – Radiumbad Oberschlema stärkstes Radiumbad
der Welt, Gemeindeverwaltung Schlema ca. 1990Ebert, M., Ed. (1999), Vom Radiumbad Oberschlema
zum Kur- und Gesundheitsbad ActinonEichholz, G. g., and J. Huber and O. Ennenmoser (2002), Radon in
Health Saps, health Phys. J. 727Elster, J. and H. Geitel, Über die Aufnahme von Radiumemanation durch
den menschlichen Körper, Physikal. Z. 5, 729-730Falkenbach, A. (1996), Kurmedizinische Behandlung mit
Radon, Heilbad und Kurbad 48/8 Falkenbach, A.. (2000) Therapeutische Radonexpositionen, Phys. Med.
Rehab. Kuro 10, 199-205Falkenbach, A., et al. (2002), Radon progeny activity on skin and hair after
speleotherapeutic radon exposure. J. Environm. Radioact. 62, 217-223Falkenbach, A. (2001), Radon
therapy in Bechterew disease. Benefits and risk factors. Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. Nov 30, 126 /48, 1379-
1380 Falkenbach, A., and N.J.G.B. Wolter (1997), Radon-Thermalstollen-Kur zur Behandlung von
Morbus Bechterew, Forschende Komplimentärmed. 5, 277-283Franke, A., et al. (2000), Long-term
efficacy of radon spa therapy in rheumatoid arthritis – a randomized, sham-controlled study and follow-up.
Rheumatology 39, 894-902Genchi, A., and E. Colombo (1997), Concentration of Radon in Wells and
Sources in Alpine Region, in: H. G. Pratzel and P. Deetjen, Radon in der Kurortmedizin (ISBN 3-9804437-
2-8), 214-219Gottlieb, L., Die Wirkung und Anwendung der Joachimsthaler radioaktiven Grubenwässer.
Zbl. Ges. Ther. 25, 169-173Grunewald, M., and W. A. Grunewald (1995), Radon Transfer während der
Balneotherapie in der Best’schen Wanne, Phys. Rehab. Med. 5,189-195Gusarov, I.I., and S. V. Andreev
(1972), Edit., Sammlung der instruktiv-methodischen Unterlagen zur Organisation und Durchführung von
Radontherapie im therapeutisch-präventiven Heilanstaltensystem des Ministeriums für Gesundheitswesen
der UdSSR, Verlag Medizina, Moscow (144 p.)Gussarov, I. I., and S. V. Andreev (1983), Zum Risiko-
Nutzen während der Radontherapie, Fragen der Kurortmed. Physiother. 4, 60-65Gussarov, I. I., et al.
(1980), Eine neue Vorrichtung zur Verabfolgung der Radoninhalationen bzw. der Radonluftbäder in Bad
Pyatigorsk, Fragen d. Kurwiss. Physiother. (Moscow), 66-69 H. G. Pratzel and P. Deetjen (Edit.), (1997)
Radon in der Kurortmedizin (ISBN 3-9804437-2-8)Henrikson, T., and H. D. Maillie (2003), Radiation and
Health, ISBN 0-415-27162-2, 128Ischia (1958), Atti del Congresso Internazional de Idrologia a
Climatologia, Lacco Amena/Ischia, Oct. 1958, publ. Rizzoli Grafica, Milano/Italy 1962.Jöckel, H. (2002),
Radon als Kurmittel, in:3. Biophysikal. Arbeitstagung Schlema 2001, 22-23Knorr, H., et al. (1990), Radon
und Hautdurchblutung, Z. Phys. Baln. Med. Klim. (Sonderheft 2) 19, 99-102Kosmath, W. (1937), Die
Radioaktivität im Luftmilieu von Bad Gastein, der Budapester Radiumbäder: Gellert, Imre, Rudas und
neuartige biologische Versuche in Baden bei Wien. Compte-rendu des Travaux du I. Congres Internat. Des
Stat. Balneaires, Budapest 7-14 Oct.Kraus, E. (1907), Beitrag zur therapeutischen Wirkung der
radioaktiven Uranpecherzrückstände und des Uranschlickes beim chronischen und akuten
Gelenkrheumatismus und seinen Folgeerkrankungen. Verh. Kongr. Inn. Med. 24, 471-478Kriditis, O., et al.
(ca. 1986), Investigation of radiation exposures in Greek radon therapy centres and Athens residences,
Report, CEC Contract BI6-114-GR(TT)Lazarus, P. (1911), Therapeutische Methodik der
Radiumemanation auf den menschlichen Körper, Berlin. klinische Wochenschr. 48, 21-31Lazarus, P.
(Edit.) (1913), Handbuch der Radiumbiologie und -therapie, WiesbadenLegler, B. (1994),
Wirksamkeitsuntersuchungen bei der Anwendung von Radon in den Bädern der ehemaligen Sowjetunion,
in: K. Aurand et al., Nutzen und Risiko bei der Einwirkung kleiner Dosen ionisierender Strahlung (ISSN
0949-8540), 173-185Leichsenring, G. (2002), Analyse prae- und neonatalogischer Daten des Zeitraumes
1955-1989 aus dem Landkreis Aue, in: 3. Biophysikal. Arbeitstagung 7.-9. Sept. 2001, Schlema,
211Leiner, G., and A. Aigner (1984), Ergometrische, mechanokardiographische und spirometrische
Untersuchungen an Patienten mit PCP, M. Bechterew bzw. Arthrosen währendLewis, W. L. (1994),
Arthritis and Radioactivity – A story of Montana`s Free Enterprise Uranium -Radon Mine (ISBN 0-89716-
330-0)Lind-Albrecht, G. (2002), Therapieeffekte und Langzeitverlauf der Radonanwendung bei Morbus
Bechterew, in: 3. Biophysikal. Arbeitstagung, Schlema 2001 „Medizinische und biologische Wirkungen
der Radonbalneologie und niedriger Strahlendosen“, Radiz Schlema (RadizeV@t-online.de
Radiumemanation auf den menschlichen Körper, Physikal. Zeitschr. 7, 563-564Loewenthal, S. (Edit.)
(1912), Grundriß der Radiumtherapie und der biologischen Radiumforschung, WiesbadenMa, J, et al.
(1996), Effect of Radon Exposure on Superoxide Dismutase Activity in Rats. J. Radiat. Res. 37, 12-
19Mache, H. (1904a), Über die im Gasteiner Wasser enthaltene radioaktive Emanation, Physikal.
Zeitschrift 5/15, 441-444Mache, H. (1904b), Über die Radioaktivität der Gasteiner Thermen, Wiener
Sitz.ber. Akad. d. Wiss. 113,1329-1352Mesemitzky, P. (1911), Über die Schädigung des Organismus
durch hohe Dosen von Radonemanation. Radiolog. Mitt. Bad Kreuznach 3, 21-31Morinaga, H. (1958),
Radioactive Hot Springs in Japan, paper presented in Atti del Congresso Internazional di Idrologia a
Climatologia, Lacco Amena/Ischia, Oct.1958, Rizzoli Grafica, Milano/Italy 1962.Muth, H. (1974), Die
Radon-Inhalationstherapie in Bad Kreuznach seit 1974 (no bibliographic details given)Peter, J., et al. (Ed.)
(2002), High Natural Radiation and Radon Areas : Radiation Dose and Health Effects, BfS-Schriften
24/2002, ISBN 3-89701-808-XPohl-Rüling, J., et al. (1979), Chromosomenaberrationen nach Inhalation
von Radon und seinen Zerfallsprodukten, ZBK 4, 437-443Pratzel, H. G. (1992), Die klinische Wirksamkeit
von Radonbädern ist bewiesen. Heilbad und Kurort 44/11-12.Pratzel, H. G. (1994), Aktuelle Aspekte der
Kurortmedizin, Intern. Environm. Consult. Newsletter 1/94, 2-9 Pratzel, H.G. (1995), Über die
Wirksamkeit von Radonanwendungen, Rheuma-Journal 2, 19-24.Pratzel, H. G., and P. Deetjen (Ed.)
(1997), Radon in der Kurortmedizin – Zum Nutzen und vermeintlichen Risiko einer traditionellen
medizinischen Anwendung, ISMH Verlag, ISBN 3-9804437-2-8Pratzel, H. G., et al. (1997), Wirksamkeit
und Verträglichkeit von Radonbädern bei Patienten mit schmerzhaften degenerativen Erkrankungen von
Perhaps the first set of link didn’t work or maybe the cat has your tongue???
Following are unabridged versions of the links which I’ve confirm working,,, at least in the uncensored world:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16810484?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14673618?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log;$=relatedreviews&logdbfrom=pubmed
What about the censorship… where is the article I posted? Are you going to release it? I tried positing is again to no avail. I call B.S. unless you let the truth be posted.
Just for the record, I posted this information in exactly one other (actually reputable) website with no problems and for what it’s worth… that was after trying to post it here.
Best Regards,
Kurt (A.K.A. Gullible Dumbass looking to get fleeced by irresponsible unscrupulous snake oil peddler)
Here is more woo woo non-sense that isn’t likely to impress you… articles by Dr. Falkenbach related to AS, many with dicussions on the use of Radon therapy:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term;=“Falkenbach A”[Author]&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus
The first two links you posted didn’t work. On top of that there are other things I need to do in life than spend all my time sitting around responding instantly to every bit of nonsense you post in the comments here. I do have a legitimate job to go to every day and I am taking night classes. Not to mention the need to do something much more important than debate woo-woo with the likes of you; namely play a few rounds of Left 4 Dead or World of Warcraft.
Just because I’m entertaining myself with engaging you don’t let it inflate your ego that much.
The first step is admitting you have a problem! Good for you!
Yeah, I see how this site works… ignore all the relevant information and jump on the frivolous details. Well, thanks for ‘allowing’ my post through and feel free to entertain yourself all you wish… perhaps that’s why you are too blind to see valid alternatives might actually exist.
Can’t make you happy at all. You bitch when your spam gets caught in the filter and you bitch when it’s let through. That comment is quite the mess. Gonna need a machete to cut through all the bullshit.
I accept that valid alternatives might exist, but I’ve yet to see any substantial proof that they do. Again, lots of experts claiming it’s good for you doesn’t mean it is. Just take a look at how many doctors and other assorted experts once promoted cigarette smoking as being healthy for proof of that.
Besides, it’s not promoted by FDA or Big Pharma. Of course, that COULD be a positive sign.
Hey you radiation phobics are typical of the brainwashed public in regard to how bad radiation is for us. I hate to make you toss education but the evil govrenment conspiracy is correct.
Read the book called.
Underexposed: What If Radiation Is Actually Good for You?: that will give you some new insight into how it all works. There is mountains of data to show the health benefits of radiation when it is of a specific level. the process is called radiation hormesis. Plenty of studies on it. so cut the government loving crap and get an education you fiucking sceptics
[...] email appears to be in regards to an entry I wrote back in 2004 about dumbasses paying money to sit in a mine full of radon gas on the belief that it will help alleviate any of a long list of [...]
Back in the 80s I and my Japanese girlfriend were invited by a friend to to spend a weekend at a Japanese Onsen (hot bath spa) in the mountains of northern Japan. Only after I was already in the very large, very hot bath did I realize that Radon gas was continually being bubbled into the bath. This was considered a health benefit.
I can’t know if there is any cause and effect involved, but in recent years I have had a number of skin cancers removed.
I do think it’s a needless risk to knowingly expose one’s self to any radioactive material.
Well, radiation hormesis may have a beneficial effect, however the jury is still very much out on that. There most certainly is not mountains of evidence – and I shall ask you to back that there is up.
My dad, and many other older family members make a trip to these mines every year or two. They say it helps with their back pain, skin problems, and joint pains for about six months, then it is back to the old Rx. I don’t have scientific data to prove or disprove anything, but real people say it works for them. My four year old niece was just diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Dr.’s are only giving her about six months, and there is no known treatment that works for this particular kind of cancer. My sister is taking her to the mines in hope of a miracle. I don’t think radon will save her, but if there is a possibility that is will give her some comfort, and maybe a month or two longer to live. If it was my child and there was even a little hope, I would do the same thing. Some people will think that it is stupid, and it’s your right to do so, but what if it were your child? I hope no one has to be put in a position to find out.
Synthia, there are people out there who believe drilling a hole in their skull helps them with their health. Doesn’t make it true or a good idea to pay someone to do so. There are lots of people who believe a lot of things that are quite simply false. The fact that a lot of people believe them to be true just shows how credulous people can be.
As for your niece, it’s not uncommon for people in such situations to grasp at straws which just makes the people that peddle this kind of false hope all the more despicable. If the child truly only has months to live I would hope the parents would be working hard to make those remaining months the most incredible and fun filled they possibly could instead of wasting time and money sitting with their child in a mine filled with toxic gas hoping for a miracle. You can do a lot of living in six months if you’re not wasting it on false hope.
[...] Dumbasses pay to sit in mines filled with radon gas in hopes of improving their health. « Stupid Ev… [...]