NEWS & INSIGHTSPublic Health

Radon: An Undetected Household Risk

As World Cancer Day approaches on February 4th, many of us are thinking of ways that we can reduce our risk and the risk of our loved ones to a disease that claims the lives of 7.6 million people worldwide each year.  One such risk is a radioactive gas that has become the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers in the United States, causing an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year. 

Surprisingly, the risk of exposure to this gas is found where we would least expect it: at home.

Radon is an invisible, odorless and tasteless gas that diffuses into the air from the decay of uranium, thorium and radium found in rocks and soil.  Because it comes from naturally occurring elements in the ground, radon can be found at very low levels, more or less, everywhere.  It becomes dangerous when high levels are present in air that is inhaled and its radioactive particles become trapped in the lungs, causing damage to the lung tissue.

Entering through cracks in the floor, foundation or walls, basements and first floors typically have the highest levels of radon as they are closest to the ground and can trap the radioactive gas, allowing it to build up to a dangerous amount.  Radon can also be emitted from materials inside the household.  One example of such an interior risk is granite, a popular kitchen countertop material found to emit very low levels of the radioactive gas.

Classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer since 1988, the hypothesis that radon was linked to lung cancer was presented as early as the beginning of the 20th century, when high levels of radon were found in underground mines where miners suffered from high lung cancer rates.  Research now focuses primarily on residential radon exposure, with an estimated 1 in 15 homes in the US having elevated radon levels.

In June 2011, the US Environmental Protection Agency, in collaboration with a number of partnering agencies, released a Federal Action Plan for Saving Lives: “Protecting People and Families from Radon,” the goals of which include reducing preventable radon-induced cancer by expanding radon testing of existing homes (the only way to determine the presence of the deadly gas), mitigating high radon levels in those homes and constructing new buildings with radon-resistant materials.

The EPA emphasizes the high expense that can be associated with radon testing and mitigation as one obstacle directly contributing to the under-addressed risk of radon exposure.  One consequence of this obstacle is the potential alienation of low-income families from essential risk reduction services.  Although there are at-home radon test kits available for a much lower cost than that associated with hiring a testing service, low-income families may not have the additional funds required to make the necessary home adjustments (such as purchasing and installing radon-resistant materials) in order to lower radon exposure, if levels are elevated.

Thus, low-income families, already struggling to address competing financial priorities, may be forced to tolerate undetected or unmitigated radon exposure, increasing their vulnerability to the risk of developing radon-induced lung cancer.  Further, the high cost associated with lung cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy pose an even greater challenge to those most at risk of developing the disease.

Addressing the elevated risk of such communities, the EPA’s Federal Action Plan pledges to take special initiative to specifically protect low-income families from radon exposure.  However, as the plan enters the early stages of implementation, introducing programs to assist low-income families to minimize their exposure to radon will no doubt take time to put into practice, meanwhile leaving the economically disadvantaged potentially exposed to this dangerous gas.

Declaring January as National Radon Action Month, the EPA offers information regarding the assessment of radon levels in your home, links to state radon contacts, the hazards of radon exposure and a link to the Federal Action Plan, “Protecting People and Families from Radon,” on their website.

Sangie Zaitsoff is ARCHIVE’s Research Coordinator based in New York