Radon Overview Introduction: Radon and Radon Exposure Health Effects

Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this module you will be able to:  Recall where radon comes from  Identify a radon decay product  Recognize the two critical variables that affect indoor radon’s impact on health  Recall how many people are estimated to die annually from exposure to radon  Recall how many homes in the U.S. have radon gas levels over the federal action level

What is Radon?  A naturally occurring radioactive gas  Colorless, odorless and tasteless  Found all over the U.S. in all types of buildings

Where Does Radon Come From?  Occurs naturally by the decay of uranium in rock and soil  Uranium is widely found in trace amounts in soil and rocks  Radon in soil and rocks under and adjacent to buildings, migrates through foundations, cracks and small openings and concentrates inside buildings

Uranium Decay Chart Radon Radium Uranium

Radon and Your Health Why is radon a concern?  Radon decays into radioactive particles known as radon decay products.  These particles are easily inhaled and deposited in the lungs where they can damage sensitive lung tissue.

The Facts About Radon  All radon studies confirm the connection between radon exposure and lung cancer  Respected national and international organizations agree that radon causes lung cancer  American Lung Association  American Medical Association  American Public Health Association  National Academy of Sciences  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  World Health Organization

Radon is Second Leading Cause of Lung Cancer

Radon and Lung Cancer  Annual deaths (2009) from lung cancer: 158,081  Total radon-related deaths per year: 21,000 (13%)  Average years of life lost for radon-related lung cancer: 17

Risk Factors  Duration of exposure  Longer exposure time = greater risk  Levels of radon  Higher levels = greater risk  Smoking  In combination with radon exposure = greater risk DANGER Lungs at work!

How Radon Harms the Lungs  Radon gas is inhaled  Radon decay products become trapped in the lungs  As products decay, some release alpha radiation  Radiation damages lung tissue  Even very small exposures to radon can cause lung cancer  No known safe level of radon

Radon and Lung Cancer Radon-induced lung cancer  Risk increases equally by both duration and concentration of exposure  One dart at a time for a long time, or handfuls of darts over a short time

Radon Concentrations in the Air Picocuries/liter (pCi/L)  Average outdoor: 0.4  Average indoor: 1.3  Consider fixing the home: 2 to under 4  Action level- fix the home: 4 or above Action level is based on level that can be achieved technically. It is not based on health standards. No known level of radon is safe.

How Common are High Radon Levels? EPA estimates that 1 in 15 U.S. homes has a radon concentration at or above the action level of 4 pCi/L

Radon Risk Comparison The estimated number of people who could get lung cancer per 1,000 people exposed over a lifetime Radon Level (pCi/L) People Who Never Smoked People Who Smoke

National Radon Health Advisory “Indoor radon gas is a national health problem. Radon causes thousands of deaths each year. Millions of homes have elevated radon levels. Most homes should be tested for radon. When elevated levels are confirmed, the problem should be corrected.” U.S. Public Health Service

Summary The chances of developing lung cancer depend on:  Duration of exposure  Level of radon in the home  Smoking  Greatly increases the risk of developing lung cancer

Summary In this module we have discussed:  Where radon comes from  What a radon decay product is  The two critical variables that affect indoor radon’s impact on health  How many people are estimated to die annually from exposure to radon  How many homes in the U.S. have radon gas levels over the federal action level