Is radons health risk currently being investigated?
We already have a wealth of scientific data on the relationship between radon exposure and the development of lung cancer. The scientific experts agree that the occupational miner data is a very solid base from which to estimate a risk range of 7,000-30,000 lung cancer deaths annually. While residential radon epidemiology studies will improve what we know about radon, they will not supersede the occupational data. EPA is funding efforts by the NAS. Health authorities like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Surgeon General, the American Lung Association, the American Medical Association, and others agree that we know enough now to recommend radon testing and to encourage public action when levels are above 4 pCi/L. The most comprehensive of these efforts is the National Academy of Science’s Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR VI) Report. As in the case of cigarette smoking, it would probably take many years and rigorous scientific research to produce the composite dat
