You cannot see, smell or taste radon gas, but its effects can be deadly. Number 86 on the periodic table of the elements, radon is the heaviest of all the noble gases---a classification of gaseous elements, including helium, neon and argon, which bear similarities in chemical makeup---and is radioactive. Radon has been identified by the World Health Organization, or WHO, as an international health concern. Cracks in basement floors or foundation walls permit the carcinogenic gas to enter a structure, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Special detectors measure levels within homes, particularly on the lowest level of the house.
Lung Cancer
The EPA states that radon kills an average of 21,000 people per year and is the number one cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers. The EPA cites a study by the University of Iowa linking prolonged radon exposure and lung cancer. Data collected from seven North American home radon studies showed that radon increases the risk of cancer in humans by 11 to 21 percent. For those who smoke, the EPA reports that radon exposure increases the likelihood of developing and dying from lung cancer. For every 1,000 smokers exposed to radon, 62 will die. The death rate for nonsmokers exposed to radon is 7.3 per 1,000.
Lung Cancer in Women
Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths among women, according to the American Cancer Society. Data from the University of Iowa's radon study show that radon gas has a significant impact on women's lungs. Study leaders focused on women, as they spend more time in the home and have lowered exposure to other lung-cancer-causing elements. Taking risk estimates into account, researchers determined that a woman exposed to a consistently low level of radon---4 picocuries per liter of air---for a 15-year period has a 50 percent chance of developing lung cancer. The report concluded that "cumulative radon exposure in the residential environment is significantly associated with lung cancer risk" in women.
Drinking Water Contamination
Radon penetrates not only the foundations of homes but also its drinking water supplies. Rock-bottomed bodies of water and groundwater supplies can have very high concentrations of radon according to the WHO. A National Academies of Science report found that radon in drinking water causes approximately 168 deaths per year. Of those deaths, 89 percent are due to lung cancer caused by inhaling radon fumes in the water, and the remaining 11 percent were caused by stomach cancer, as the ingested carcinogens affected the stomach tissue.
References
- "Health Effects of Exposure to Radon: BEIR VI." Commission on Life Sciences. 1999.
- World Health Organization: International Radon Project
- University of Iowa Health Care: Study Shows Link Between Residential Radon Exposure and Lung Cancer
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Radon
- American Cancer Society: What Are the Key Statistics About Lung Cancer?
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