Dose to Lung and Other Organs from Radon and Thoron as a Function of Age

Doses to lung from short-lived radon decay products have been recognised for some time as the major source of radiation exposure of the general public, and in some cases as causing annual exposures of tens or hundreds of millisieverts effective dose equivalent. Recently it has been suggested that radon also contributes significant doses to red bone marrow and other organs under some circumstances. The doses from radon and thoron and their decay products to lung and other organs are reviewed. It is shown that the doses to other organs are very small compared with doses to lung. Variations in doses as a function of age and in different circumstances (such as high radon levels at home or at work) do not affect this conclusion.