Levels of Polonium-210 in brain and pulmonary tissues: Preliminary study in autopsies conducted in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

The accumulation of detectable amounts of radon progeny in human tissues may be a risk factor for development and progression of chronic diseases. In this study, we analyzed the levels of alpha-emitting radon progeny 210-Polonium (210Po) in the olfactory epithelium, olfactory bulb, frontal lobe, and lung tissues in cadavers from the city of Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. We investigated the association between 210Po levels with the traffic-related pleural anthracosis index, smoking habits and socioeconomic index. Our findings show that olfactory bulb presented higher concentrations of 210Po in comparison with other tissues among all ages and gender. Women, smokers and elderly presented higher 210Po levels in some tissues, especially in lungs. We found statistically significant association between 210Po levels and anthracosis in lungs of non-smokers and lower socioeconomic index. The presence of high concentrations of 210Po in olfactory bulb may indicate the main pathway for transfer of radon progeny from nasal tissues to the central nervous system. Our findings suggest that radon progeny in human tissues may contribute to the development of chronic diseases in urban areas, including neurodegenerative diseases.