The relationship of indoor radon gas concentration with multiple sclerosis: a case-control study

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 27; no. 14; pp. 16350 - 16361
• Main Authors: Abaszadeh Fathabadi, Zeynab, Ehrampoush, Mohamad Hassan, Mirzaei, Masuod, Mokhtari, Mehdi, Nadi Sakhvidi, Mohamad, Rahimdel, Abolghasem, Dehghani Tafti, Arefeh, Fallah Yakhdani, Monire, Atefi, Atefe, Eslami, Hadi, Ebrahimi, Ali Asghar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.05.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Case studies; Cooling systems; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Health risk assessment; Indoor air pollution; Mental health; Multiple sclerosis; Physical activity; Questionnaires; Radon; Research Article; Residential areas; Residential buildings; Socioeconomics; Ventilation; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Indoor radon gas; Case-control study; Multiple sclerosis (MS); Mental health
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-08147-y

This case-control study aimed to investigate the relationship of indoor radon gas concentration and residential building characteristics with mental health with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Yazd City, Iran. The participants included 45 patients with MS and 100 healthy individuals. The participants’ socio-economic status and residential building characteristics were investigated using a questionnaire. The radon gas concentration was also measured by CR-39 detectors over a 6-month period. Furthermore, the participants’ mental health data were collected using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The mean concentrations of radon gas were 66.77 and 65.33 Bq/m 3 in the homes of patients with MS and healthy individuals, respectively, but the difference was not significant ( p  = 0.882). However, the radon gas concentration had a significant relationship with the building’s age ( p  = 0.038), ventilation ( p  = 0.053), and cooling system ( p  = 0.021). A significant difference was observed between the two study groups in terms of the mental health ( p  = 0.018), depression ( p  = 0.037), s omatic symptoms ( p  ≤ 0.001), and physical activity ( p  = 0.030). Since the indoor radon gas concentration did not have any significant relationship with MS prevalence, more studies are required in this regard, especially in long-term exposure.