The research article I selected for research example number 6 is an article I found in the Armacost library database. The article is from the Journal of Environmental Health volume 76, number 4. The title of the article is “Investigation of Radon and Heavy Metals in Xuanwei and Fuyuan, High Lung Cancer Incidence Areas in China.” Two cities in China, Xuanwei and Fuyuan, are located in the Yunnan province in southwest China. Xuanwei has an unusually high female lung cancer rate, which is eight times the nations average. The lung cancer rate for men in Xuanwei is four times the national average. Xuanwei has a population of more than 1.4 million people. Fuyuan is located next to Xuanwei and also has a lung cancer rate that is among the highest in the world. Fuyuan has a population of more than 700,000 people. It is believed that the primary cause of lung cancer in these cities is from burning coal in the homes. The authors believe that there are other possible causes of high lung cancer rate which include heavy metals and radon found in the water and soil. The authors collected water and soil samples at twenty-five sites within the two cities. The sites were located in communities with high lung cancer rates. All of the water samples were collected from water wells and the soil samples were collected from different locations. Radon was monitored using a radon analyzer. The air was also tested for levels of mercury. The results of the analysis showed that the level of radon in the air did not exceed the World Health Organization standard and most the heavy metals were found at very low levels in the water and soil. The authors concluded that the exposure of radon and mercury in the air had no significant relationship to lung cancer. They also found that the heavy metals in the water and soil had little influence on the health of the population. Their study was the first one to determine the levels of the pollutants in that area. The authors believe that this study will be helpful to future studies on the causes of lung cancer in these cities.

Lv, J., Zhang, W., & Xu, R. (2013). Investigation of radon and heavy metals in Xuanwei and Fuyuan, high lung cancer incidence areas in china. Journal of Environmental Health, 76(4), 32-8. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.redlands.edu/docview/1449819742?accountid=14729