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Figure 4 | Environmental Health

Figure 4

From: Arsenic, asbestos and radon: emerging players in lung tumorigenesis

Figure 4

Radon induces reactive oxygen species through emission of alpha-particles. Radon decays to radioactive progenies (218Po and 214Po) that can be inhaled when attached to natural particles in aerosol[50, 91]. Once inside the lungs, radon progenies emit alpha-particles that can lead to generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), eventually resulting in DNA damage not only in the irradiated cell itself, but also affecting neighboring non-irradiated cells[51]. Additionally, changes in DNA methylation are also observed in radon-induced lung tumors.

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