Key facts
- Radon is the second most important cause of lung cancer in many countries.
- Radon is estimated to cause between 3% and 14% of all lung cancers, depending on the average radon level in a country.
- Radon is much more likely to cause lung cancer in people who smoke, and is the primary cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
- Radon-induced lung cancers are mainly caused by low and moderate rather than by high radon concentrations, because of the large number of people exposed to indoor radon in homes with such low concentrations.
- The lower the radon concentration in a home, the lower the risk as there is no known threshold below which radon exposures carries no risk.
Health effects of radon
In many countries, radon is the second most important cause of lung cancer after smoking. The proportion of lung cancers attributable to radon is estimated to range from 3 to 14%.
Significant health effects have been seen in uranium miners who are exposed to high levels of radon. However, studies in Europe, North America and China have confirmed that lower concentrations of radon – such as those found in homes – also confer health risks and contribute substantially to the occurrence of lung cancers worldwide [1, 2, 3].
The risk of lung cancer increases by 16% per 100 Bq/m3 increase in radon concentration. The dose-response relation is linear – i.e. the risk of lung cancer increases proportionally with increasing radon exposure. Radon is much more likely to cause lung cancer in people who smoke.
Link to complete Fact Sheet – http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs291/en/index.html
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Something appears to be wrong with the System, in Florida, in Loxahatchee Florida, saw on the news yesterday, that 18 children and 54 adults are very Ill, adledglly from Radon, this has been going on for several months now, the Residents claim, they can get no one to Investigate the Source. It never ceases to amaze me as to how slow the System Works. People are Sick, where is the EPA ?