Radon gas decays into radioactive particles
that can get trapped in your lungs when you
breathe. As they break down further, these
particles release small bursts of energy. This
can damage lung tissue and lead to lung
cancer over the course of your lifetime. Not
everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon
will develop lung cancer. And the amount of
time between exposure and the onset of the
disease may be many years.
Like other environmental pollutants, there is
some uncertainty about the magnitutde of
radon health risks. However, we know more
about radon risks, han risks from most other
cancer-causing substances. This is because
extimates of radon risks are based on studies
of cancer in humans (underground miners).
Children have been reported to have greater
risk than adults of certain types of cancer from
radiation, but there is currently no conclusive
dat on whether children are at a greater risk
than adults from radon.
You can’t see radon, but it’s not hard to find out if you have a radon problem in your home. All you need to do is test for radon.
Radon is cancer-causing radioactive gas. You cannot see, smell or taste radon, but it may be a problem in your home. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, you’re at high risk of developing lung cancer. Some scientific studies of radon exposure indicate that children may be more sensitive to radon. This may be due to their higher respiration rate and their rapidly dividing cells, which may be more vlnerable to radiation damage.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that each year 21,000 people die of lung cancer as a result of being exposed to elevated levels of radon. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer for smokers and the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers.
It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Any home may have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements.
Radon from soil gas is the main cause of radon problems. Sometimes radon enters the home through well water. In a small number of homes, the building materials can give off radon, too. However, building materials rarely cause radon problems by themselves
A radon test is the only way to find out how much radon is in your home. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recommends that all Minnesota hmeowners test their homes fro radon. The results of a properly performed test will help them determine for themselves if they need to take further action to protect their family from the health risk of radon in the home.
A number of steps can be taken to lower the amount of radon in a home. A quality radon reduction (mitigation) system is often able to reduce the annual average radon level to abelow 2 picoCuries per liter.