What are the Health Effects From Exposure to Radon?
There are no immediate symptoms from exposures to radon. Based on an updated Assessment of Risk for Radon in Homes, radon in indoor air is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. Smokers are at higher risk of developing radon-induced lung cancer. Lung cancer is the only health effect which has been definitively linked with radon exposure. Lung cancer would usually occur years (5-25) after exposure. There is no evidence that other respiratory diseases, such as asthma, are caused by radon exposure and there is no evidence that children are at any greater risk of radon induced lung cancer than adults. What is the debate on radon? There is no debate about radon being a lung carcinogen in humans. All major national and international organizations that have examined the health risks of radon agree that it is a lung carcinogen. The scientific community continues to conduct research to refine our understanding of the precise number of deaths attributa
When radon starts to decay, very tiny radioactive particles are released. If you inhale these particles, they enter the lungs and may cause cancerous changes in nearby cells. If you breathe in high levels of radon, you have a greater chance of getting lung cancer and other respiratory health problems. Radon is the second leading cause of Lung Cancer, second only to tobacco smoke. It is responsible for about 21,000 deaths from lung cancer per year in the United States. The U.S. Surgeon General and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend that all homes be tested for radon levels. The combination of smoking and radon exposure can greatly increase your risk of developing lung cancer. If you smoke or live with someone who smokes and you live or work in a place with dangerous radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is significantly higher than for someone who has never smoked but lives or works in places with high radon levels. Radon exposure does not produce immediate sympto
There are no immediate symptoms from exposures to radon. Based on an updated Assessment of Risk for Radon in Homes (see www.epa.gov/radon/risk_assessment.html ), radon in indoor air is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. Smokers are at higher risk of developing Radon-induced lung cancer. Lung cancer is the only health effect which has been definitively linked with radon exposure. Lung cancer would usually occur years (5-25) after exposure. There is no evidence that other respiratory diseases, such as asthma, are caused by radon exposure and there is no evidence that children are at any greater risk of radon induced lung cancer than adults. See also radon health risks at www.epa.gov/radon/healthrisks.html Read “A Citizen’s Guide to Radon” at www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.htmlWho can test or fix my home for radon ?Your home can be tested and mitigated by a professional state certified company or individual. Adams Environmental Services has
