radon
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. [1]
EPA estimates that radon causes thousands of cancer deaths in the U.S. each year. [2]
The potential hazard of radiation exposures to radon gas and its daughter products from natural background has been highlighted in the press and has become a matter of concern and a source of confusion to the public. [3]
If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high. [2]
Thus, the previously estimated partial body environmental radon dose to the tracheobronchial epithelium (TBE) (2500 mrem/year.) was not included in whole body dose calculations because that exposure was limited to a small fraction of the body. [3]
In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. [2]
Radon-222 is a member of the radioactive decay chain of uranium-238. [4]
EPA’s state grants support radon risk reduction activities across the country. [5]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the Surgeon General’s Office have estimated that as many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths are caused each year by radon. [4]
In one study, upon which the US EPA heavily relies, evidence involving miners indicated that at levels as low as 80 WLM, the risk of death from lung cancer was very high and the risk increased to 50% chance of death from lung cancer at even higher levels. [...] Although political organizations (such as the US EPA) publish a variety of statements of elevated risk, to date (2010) there are no scientific studies that have ever actually shown that radon gas, as typically seen in houses, increases the risk of cancer. [6]
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued guidelines (1-7), as has the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP), the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP) and other groups concerned with radiation protection matters. [3]
The alpha radiation emitted by radon is the same alpha radiation emitted by other alpha generating radiation sources such as plutonium. [4]
That’s because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. [2]
Exposure to radon in the home is responsible for an estimated 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year. [5]
Sources:
[1] Public Health Fact Sheet on Radon
[2] A Citizen’s Guide to Radon | Radon | US EPA
[3] Radon
[4] Radon Facts - what is radon? Where does radon come from? Who …
[5] Radon | Indoor Air | US EPA
[6] Radon: Truth vs. myth