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Radon Risks
> Exposure to radon causes lung cancer in non-smokers and smokers alike.
Lung cancer kills thousands of Americans every year. The untimely deaths of
Peter Jennings and Dana Reeve have raised public awareness about lung cancer,
especially among people who have never smoked. Smoking and radon are the leading
causes of lung cancer. Although lung cancer can be treated, the survival rate is
one of the lowest for those with cancer. From the time of diagnosis, between 11%
and 15% of those afflicted will live beyond five years, depending upon demographic
factors. In many cases lung cancer can be prevented; this is especially true for
radon-induced lung cancer.
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to US EPA
estimates. Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (second only to smoking).
Radon is responsible for about 36,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 10% to 14%
of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked. On January 13, 2005,
Dr. Richard H. Carmona, the US Surgeon General, issued a
national health advisory on radon.
> Why is radon the public health risk that it is?
Radon is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas produced by the decay of naturally
occurring uranium in soil and water. Radon is a form of ionizing radiation and a proven
carcinogen. Lung cancer is the only known effect on human health from exposure to radon
in air. Thus far, no evidence exists that children are at greater risk of contracting
lung cancer from radon.
Radon in air is ubiquitous. Radon is found in outdoor air and in the indoor air of
buildings of all kinds. The US EPA recommends homes be fixed if the radon level is
4.0 pCi/L or greater. Because no known safe level of radon exists, the US EPA also
recommends that Americans consider fixing their home for elevated radon levels between
2.0 pCi/L and 4.0 pCi/L. The average radon concentration in the indoor air of most
American homes is about 1.3 pCi/L. This is the level that the US EPA bases its annual
radon-related death estimates. The average concentration of radon in outdoor air is 0.4 pCi/L.
For smokers the risk of lung cancer is significant due to the synergistic effects or
radon and smoking. For this population, about 62 people in a 1,000 will die of lung
cancer, compared to 7 in a 1,000 for non-smokers (people never smoking). Put another
way, a never-smoker who is exposed to 1.3 pCi/L has a 2 in 1,000 chance of lung cancer;
while a smoker has a 20 in 1,000 chance of dying from lung cancer.
Unfortunately, many Americans presume that because the action level is 4.0 pCi/L, a
radon level of less than 4.0 pCi/L is ‘safe’. This perception is altogether too common
in the residential real estate market. In managing any risk, we should be concerned with
the greatest risk. For most Americans, their greatest exposure to radon is in their homes;
especially in rooms that are below grade (i.e. basements), rooms that are in contact with
the ground and those rooms immediately above them.
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