Borbála Máté 1, Mária Horváth 2, János Somlai 1, László Kovács 3, Tibor Kovács 1 1 Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary 2 Social Organization for Radioecological Cleanliness, Veszprém, Hungary 3 Department of Allergy, Hospital of Tapolca, Tapolca, Hungary

Are there connection between radon concentration and therapeutical effect? Introduction Establish the same (unified) treatment protocol diff. radon conc environ - Inhalatoric cave therapy (asthma, bronthitis) - high radon (tapolca hospital cave) - low radon (salt mine hosp. cave) - Bath therapy (rheuma, arthitis) - high radon (Eger hospital) - low radon (Flora bath) The radon therapy is widespread used in the world.

Different parameters measured before and after the treatments Physiological Parameters: FEV1, General Phys Condition tests and questionaries Biological and Chemical parameters from Human Blood Thyroid Gland: TSH, Ft3, Ft4 Hypophyzys: ACTH,  -Endorphine, Prolactine Adrenal Gland: DHEAS, Cortizole General chemical parameters: Po-210 Environmental Parameters: Radon an progenies, aerosols, T, P etc K Nagy, et al., Does balneotherapy with low radon concentration in water influence the endocrine system? A controlled non-randomized pilot study Radiat Environ Biophys 2009, 48, , K Nagy, et al., Study on endocrinology effects of radon speleotherapy on respiratory diseases Int J Radiat Biol, , K Nagy, et al., Radon therapy and speleotherapy in Hungary, La Presse Thermale et Climatique, 145, (2008), J. Somlai, et al., The Function of Radon in Curing Respiratory Diseases in the Therapeutic Cave of Tapolca J Radioanal Nucl Ch, , 363–370 References : Introduction

The present examination is a part of a greater sequence of experiments, during which the effect of radon on the human body is examined. determination of 210 Po isotope activity concentration in human blood before and after therapeutical treatment estimation of the absorbed dose

the cave hospital in Tapolca has been used for the treatment of asthmatic patients for a long time mean yearly temperature: 13.9 °C, pressure: 1004 kPa, which are considered to be very stable. the average radon concentration: in winter months ~ 1000 Bq/m 3, in summer months ~ Bq/m 3 Hospital Cave and Treatment

Cave therapy: 1-3 weeks 3 hours summer and winter months male and female groups 10 cm 3 of blood sample was taken before and after therapy 210 Po-measurement (92 sample): 209 Po tracer classical combined acidic leaching semi-conductor PIPS detector (Eurisys 19 kev resolution) alpha- spectrometer (Canberra 7401 alpha chamber, Silena 9302 multichannel analyser), EMCA 2000 software. measurement time: s. the detection limit– by 95% confidence level – was mBq.

~ 10 g/sample, ~ 10 g/sample, 77.4 mBq Po-209 tracer Combined classical acidic leaching: 3x30 ml cc. HNO 3 3x30 ml cc. HNO 3 3x30 ml cc. HCl + 3x30 ml cc. HCl + 2 drops of H 2 O 2 2 drops of H 2 O 2 3x30 ml dist. water 3x30 ml dist. water Preparation of stock solution Spontaneous deposition: 50 ml stock sol. 50 ml stock sol. 0.1 g ascorbic acid 0.1 g ascorbic acid stainless steal with stainless steal with high Ni content high Ni content 80 °C 80 °C 3 hours 3 hours Semi-conductor (PIPS) detector alpha-spectrometer ( sec) 209 Po 210 Po

During the calculation, we took into consideration that the α - particle generated during the decay of the 210 Po isotope gives all of its energy to the blood tissue (based on LET calculation 1 ). D=E( α ). K. C where D: absorbed dose (J/kg) E( α ): particle energy ( eV) K: coefficient ( J) C: 210 Po concentration (Bq/kg) 1 ICRU, „Liner Energy Transfer”, ICRU Report 16, Pergamon Press, Bethesda, MD, USA, 1970.

The results of the study show that the 210 Po concentration increased in every case in the blood of patients cured in the Hospital cave of Tapolca. This effect was detectable even in the winter period when the radon concentrations are significantly lower in the cave air compare to the concentrations during the summer months. No significant difference was found between the male and female patient. The absorbed dose was minimal, varied between and J/kg, the average was J/kg in summer and J/kg in winter. 210 Po act. conc. (mBq/g) before tr.after tr.diff. Male mean deviation Female mean deviation Po act. conc. (mBq/g) before tr.after tr.diff. Male mean deviation Female mean deviation WinterSummer