Radon (Rn)
Health Risks
(September 2009) The United Nation's World Health Organization (WHO) says that radon is a worldwide health risk in homes. Dr. Maria Neira of WHO said that "Most radon-induced lung cancers occur from low and medium dose exposures in people's homes. Radon is the second most important cause of lung cancer after smoking in many countries."
The WHO recommendations are in the "Handbook on Indoor Radon: A Public Health Perspective" Read the EPA Press Release.
- Exposure to Radon Causes Lung Cancer In Non-smokers and Smokers Alike
- Studies Find Direct Evidence Linking Radon in Homes to Lung Cancer
- World Health Organization Launches International Radon Project
- The U.S. Surgeon General Issues National Health Advisory on Radon
- Why is radon the public health risk that it is?
- Radon-related Lung Cancer Deaths Compared to Other Select Cancers
- Radon Risk If You Smoke
Exposure to Radon Causes Lung Cancer In Non-smokers and Smokers Alike
The Facts...
- Lung cancer kills thousands of Americans every year. Smoking, radon, and secondhand smoke 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 percent of those afflicted will live beyond five years, depending upon demographic factors. In many cases lung cancer can be prevented.
- Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. Smoking causes an estimated 160,000* cancer deaths in the U.S. every year (American Cancer Society, 2004). And the rate among women is rising. On January 11, 1964, Dr. Luther L. Terry, then U.S. Surgeon General, issued the first warning on the link between smoking and lung cancer. Lung cancer now surpasses breast cancer as the number one cause of death among women. A smoker who is also exposed to radon has a much higher risk of lung cancer.
- Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. 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. Read a study by Dr. William Field on radon-related lung cancer in women at www.cheec.uiowa.edu/misc/radon.html
- Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of lung cancer and responsible for an estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths every year. Smoking affects non-smokers by exposing them to secondhand smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke can have serious consequences for children’s health, including asthma attacks, affecting the respiratory tract (bronchitis, pneumonia), and may cause ear infections.
Studies Find Direct Evidence Linking Radon in Homes to Lung Cancer
(2005) 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, Former 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.”
- Abstract of the pooling of North American Residential Radon studies (PDF) (2 pp., 22 K, About PDF).
- Abstract of the pooling of the European Residential Radon studies (PDF) (1 page, 26 K).
For More Information on Radon Health Risks
- Radon Frequently Asked Questions
- EPA's 2003 Updated Radon Risk Assessment
- EPA's Radiation Protection Division
Test Your Home for Radon, It's Easy and Inexpensive
- The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend that all homes be tested.
- You can test your home yourself or hire a professional. Find out how.
- Fix your home if you have a radon level of 4 pCi/L or more.
- If you have further questions about Radon, please call your State Radon Contact.
- Find more radon resources at www.epa.gov/radon/pubs
A Citizen's Guide To Radon: The Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Radon | PDF Version (16 pp., 852 K, about PDF)
"Do you know about radon?"
Dr. Bill Field at the University of Iowa and the Iowa Cancer Consortium have prepared "Breathing Easier" to help educate physicians on the dangers of radon and the link between the radioactive gas and lung cancer. Watch the videos!
Charles Lynch, M.D., medical director of the Iowa Cancer Registry, hosts the video and asks other physicians the simple question: "Do you know about radon?" Dr. Lynch stresses physicians' vital role in delivering information on radon to their patients.
See also: Radon Media Campaigns
Learn More About Lung Cancer
The following sources provide a wide range of good information about lung cancer, prevention, and treatment.
World Health Organization Launches International Radon Project
(2009) The World Health Organization (WHO) says radon causes up to 15% of lung cancers worldwide. In an effort to reduce the rate of lung cancer around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched an international radon project to help countries increase awareness, collect data and encourage action to reduce radon-related risks. The U.S. EPA is one of several government agencies and countries supporting this initiative and is encouraged by WHO’s attention to this important public health issue. "Radon poses an easily reducible health risk to populations all over the world, but has not up to now received widespread attention," said Dr. Michael Repacholi, coordinator of WHO’s Radiation and Environmental Health Unit. He went on to say that "radon in our homes is the main source of exposure to ionizing radiation, and accounts for 50% of the public’s exposure to naturally-occurring sources of radiation in many countries."
- Visit the World Health Organization's International Radon Project site - www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/env/radon/en/index.html
Surgeon General Releases National Health Advisory on Radon
(January 13, 2005) U.S. Surgeon General, Richard H. Carmona, issues a Health Advisory warning Americans about the health risk from exposure to radon in indoor air. The 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, noting that more than 20,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer each year.
- Find the full press release at www.surgeongeneral.gov
Radon-related Lung Cancer Deaths Compared to Other Select Cancers
The following graphic compares EPA estimates of the annual radon-related lung cancer deaths to other selected cancers. The other mortality numbers in this graphic were obtained from the National Cancer Institute's 2010 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) estimated US mortality numbers which can be found at http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2007/results_single/sect_01_table.01.pdf
Radon Risk If You Smoke
from "A Citizen's Guide to Radon: The Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family From Radon"
Radon Level | If 1,000 people who smoked were exposed to this level over a lifetime*... | The risk of cancer from radon exposure compares to**... | WHAT TO DO: Stop smoking and... |
---|---|---|---|
20 pCi/L | About 260 people could get lung cancer | 250 times the risk of drowning | Fix your home |
10 pCi/L | About 150 people could get lung cancer | 200 times the risk of dying in a home fire | Fix your home |
8 pCi/L | About 120 people could get lung cancer | 30 times the risk of dying in a fall | Fix your home |
4 pCi/L | About 62 people could get lung cancer | 5 times the risk of dying in a car crash | Fix your home |
2 pCi/L | About 32 people could get lung cancer | 6 times the risk of dying from poison | Consider fixing between 2 and 4 pCi/L |
1.3 pCi/L | About 20 people could get lung cancer | (Average indoor radon level) | (Reducing radon levels below 2 pCi/L is difficult.) |
0.4 pCi/L | About 3 people could get lung cancer | (Average outdoor radon level) | |
Note: If you are a former smoker, your risk may be lower. * Lifetime risk of lung cancer deaths from EPA Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes (EPA 402-R-03-003). ** Comparison data calculated using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 1999-2001 National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Reports. |
Radon Risk If You've Never Smoked
Radon Level | If 1,000 people who never smoked were exposed to this level over a lifetime*... | The risk of cancer from radon exposure compares to**... | WHAT TO DO: |
---|---|---|---|
20 pCi/L | About 36 people could get lung cancer | 35 times the risk of drowning | Fix your home |
10 pCi/L | About 18 people could get lung cancer | 20 times the risk of dying in a home fire | Fix your home |
8 pCi/L | About 15 people could get lung cancer | 4 times the risk of dying in a fall | Fix your home |
4 pCi/L | About 7 people could get lung cancer | The risk of dying in a car crash | Fix your home |
2 pCi/L | About 4 person could get lung cancer | The risk of dying from poison | Consider fixing between 2 and 4 pCi/L |
1.3 pCi/L | About 2 people could get lung cancer | (Average indoor radon level) | (Reducing radon levels below 2 pCi/L is difficult.) |
0.4 pCi/L | (Average outdoor radon level) | ||
Note: If you are a former smoker, your risk may be higher. * Lifetime risk of lung cancer deaths from EPA Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes (EPA 402-R-03-003). ** Comparison data calculated using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 1999-2001 National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Reports. |