Radon is a radioactive gas that has no smell and is difficult to detect unless you're testing specifically for it. It is produced by the decaying of uranium, which can be naturally present in the rock and soil under a house. Radon accumulates in places like basements or seeps from under furnaces, through dirt floors and under jack posts, according to the Canadian Health Department. In enclosed environments, the risks of breathing radon are high and many.
Higher Risk of Lung Cancer
The main problem with radon is that it significantly increases your chances of developing lung cancer. The Health Physics Society explains that radon is inhaled when you breathe in, but never completely leaves your lungs. Instead, part of it remains in the lungs, which can cause tissue to die and lung cancer to develop with time. The risk of cancer increases depending on how much radon is present in the house. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that of 1,000 people exposed to a level of 20 picoCuries per liter, or 20 pCi/L, 260 will develop lung cancer.
Smoking Risk
Smoking combined with exposure to radon increases your risk of developing lung cancer. A committee of the National Research Council recommended taking special precautions if you're a smoker, as the combined exposure can prove deadly. The NRC estimates that up to 21,800 smokers die of radon-related deaths every year. This is about 12 percent of all the lung cancers deaths in the U.S.
Danger to Children and Pets
According to Massachusetts Home Inspections, radon does not cause respiratory problems such as coughing or shortness of breath or other short-term side effects like headaches. However, long-term exposure can have particularly serious side effects on children and pets, increasing their risk for lung cancer. Radon Testing points out that children are particularly sensitive to exposure.
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