Assessing cancer mortality in high natural background radiation areas: a systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Low background radiation levels are constantly around us, but generally there are some high natural background radiation areas (HNBRAs) in the world including Ramsar in Iran, Guarapari in Brazil, Kerala in India, Arkaroola in Australia, and Yangjiang in China. The present study aims to explore the relationship between living in HNBRAs and cancer mortality rate.

Materials and Methods: A perfect search was conducted in Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and databases and articles with the key terms "High natural background radiation", "cancer prevalence in HNBRAs", " natural radiation" and " mortality" using MeSH.

Results: The results of this study are based on articles published in national and international journals, dissertations, and reference sites. In a total of 156 documents, 33 (21.15%) were selected.

Conclusion: More recent studies have highlighted the absence of any direct connection between high natural background radiation and the prevalence of cancer in people living in HNBRAs. Some studies have suggested that low natural background radiation is not only harmless but may be beneficial to health through adaptations, while others believe that even the smallest doses of radiation are harmful.