Death Due to Radon

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, radon presents a high risk of developing lung cancer. About 21,000 deaths from lung cancer linked to inhalation of radon gas occur each year. The University of Nevada classifies radon gas as a group A carcinogen, meaning a high risk with any prolonged contact.

Radon

• Radon gas is present throughout the atmosphere. At low levels, radon is not dangerous to human beings.

  Radon is produced when uranium present in soil breaks down and is released as a gas that rises from the ground. Radon is also present in water that usually has been pumped from underground, where it comes into contact with uranium-rich soil.

  Radon is also present in housing materials such as granite, shale and phosphates.

Contamination

• The National Cancer Institute explains that radon gas can become trapped in buildings such as houses and schools, and is especially prevalent from the basement to the third floor. Radon gas can enter through cracks and holes in the foundations. When radon enters a house, it can become stuck in tightly sealed or well insulated rooms, leading to residents' living in rooms with high levels of radon.

Measurements

• The U.S. Surgeon General and the EPA recommend testing homes and low-rise buildings such as schools for radon levels to decide whether treatments are necessary to maintain the health of occupants. The EPA says radon is measured in pico curies per liter (pCi/l) with a measurement of 4 or above being a dangerously high reading.

Cancer

• According to the EPA, lung cancer is caused by high levels of radon, as the gas forms particles that occupants of affected buildings breathe. These radon particles are inhaled into the lungs, where they attach to the lining and give off small bursts of energy, damaging the lung lining and leading to lung cancer over a lifetime.

  Swallowing radon particles in water is a common cause of stomach cancer.

Research

• The National Cancer Institute says the link between radon and lung cancer was discovered when scientists began researching the causes of death in underground uranium miners and noticed the high proportion who had died from lung cancer.