Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths
occur among people who have never smoked. On January 13, 2005, Dr. Richard H. Carmona, the U.S. Surgeon General, issued a national health advisory on radon.
Why is radon the public health risk that it is?
EPA estimates that about 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the U.S. are radon-related.
Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. 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, there is no evidence that children are at greater risk of lung cancer than
are adults.
Studies Find
Direct Evidence Linking Radon in Homes to Lung Cancer
Two studies show definitive evidence of an association between residential radon exposure
and lung cancer. Two studies, a North American study and a European study, both combined data from several previous
residential studies. These two studies go a step beyond earlier findings. They confirm the radon health risks
predicted by occupational studies of underground miner’s who breathed radon for a period of years. Early in the
debate about radon-related risks, some researchers questioned whether occupational studies could be used to calculate risks
from exposure to radon in the home environment. “These findings effectively end any doubts about the risks to
Americans of having radon in their homes,” said Tom Kelly, Director of EPA’s Indoor Environments Division.
“We know that radon
is a carcinogen. This research confirms that breathing low levels of radon can lead to lung cancer.”
The U.S.
Surgeon General, Richard Carmona, Issues National Health Advisory on Radon
The Surgeon General of the United States issued a Health Advisory in 2005 warning Americans
about the health risk from exposure to radon in indoor air. The Nation’s Chief Physician urged Americans to test their homes to
find out how much radon they might be breathing. Dr. Carmona also stressed the need to remedy the problem as soon as
possible when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or more. Dr. Carmona noted that more than 20,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer each year.
source: EPA.Gov
The
only way to know if you have elevated radon levels in your home is to
have it tested.......
We
can perform the required testing for you, and provide you with a full report!
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