Radon is responsible for over 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year
U.S. SURGEON GENERAL, RICHARD CARMONA, URGES AMERICANS TO GET THEIR HOMES TESTED FOR RADON
The Surgeon General of the United States issued an advisory urging Americans to get their homes tested for radon. The gas is a radioactive gas that gets into the air through cracks in buildings' foundations. If trapped indoors, radon levels can climb to unhealthy levels. The Surgeons General advises homeowners to take immediate action to mitigate their deteriorating indoor air quality.
While there has been considerable controversy over whether or not household radon exposure is a cause of lung cancer, studies in France, Canada, and the U.S. have shown similar results. The researchers found that a direct correlation existed between radon exposure and lung cancer. The findings are based on the mortality rates of uranium miners. Moreover, gender differences in the incidence of pulmonary cancer have been found.
In fact, major scientific organizations believe that radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, and that its combination with cigarette smoke increases the risk by as much as eight to nine times. The synergistic effects between radon and smoking make it the number two cause of lung cancer in the U.S.. In fact, the incidence of lung cancer among non-smoker population is estimated at around 2,900 each year. Fortunately, remediation measures are not as expensive or time-consuming as they seem, and the resulting benefits are well worth the effort.
This study is based on a large data set of lung cancer deaths in North America and Europe. The results confirm the previous findings that smoking increases the risk of lung cancer. In fact, a smoker is approximately 25 times more likely to develop lung cancer than a non-smoker. While the results are not conclusive, the findings are still important to understand.
RADON EXPOSURE CAN IMMENSELY CAUSE LUNG CANCER TO BOTH SMOKERS AND NON-SMOKERS
Many people smoke, but not all of them realize that radon is one of the leading causes of lung cancer. It's estimated that as many as 15% of all lung cancers in the U.S. are caused by radon. This is why you should know about the risks associated with radon exposure before buying a home.
Almost 90% of lung cancer cases are attributed to smoking. Those who don't smoke can get the same type of cancer, because radon interacts with smoking to make it more likely to affect a non-smoker. Therefore, it's important to buy a radon detector and monitor your home's radon levels.
Although the cause of lung cancer is unknown, exposure to radon from the environment is the most common cause. In addition to a smoker's risk of developing lung cancer, non-smokers are also at increased risk of getting the disease. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce radon levels without smoking, but not everyone can do so.
Sources:
Haynes, William M., ed. (2011). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (92nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. 4.122. ISBN 1439855110
Kusky, Timothy M. (2003). Geological Hazards: A Sourcebook. Greenwood Press. pp. 236–239. ISBN 9781573564694.
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