Risks & Dangers of Living with Radon
Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that is formed by the natural radioactive decay of uranium in soil. Since radon is a gas, it can migrate upward through the soil and find its way into your home.
When radon decays into other solid radioactive particles, those particles can become lodged in your lungs as you breathe. As those radioactive particles decay further, through the same natural decay process that all radioactive materials go through, they will release small bursts of energy. Those bursts of energy can damage surrounding lung tissues, which can initiate the formation of lung cancer. The amount of time between the initial exposure and the onset of the disease may be several years.
Approximately 4 out of 10 Scott County homes test high for levels of radon. Testing your home is the only way to know for sure what the radon levels are within your home.
Like other environmental pollutants, there is some uncertainty about the magnitude of radon health risks. However, we do know more about radon risks than we do about the risks associated with many other cancer-causing substances. This is because estimates of radon risks are based on actual studies of cancer in humans (involving detailed studies involving underground miners). Additional studies on more typical populations are currently under way.
In addition to the risks from exposure to radon, your risks for cancer are greatly increased if exposure to tobacco smoke is combined with exposure to radon. If you stop smoking now and lower your levels of radon exposure, you will greatly reduce your risk of contracting lung cancer.
It has been reported that children may have a greater risk than adults of contracting certain types of cancer that are caused by exposure to radiation. However, there is currently no conclusive data on whether children or adults are at greater risk from exposure to radon gas.
For more information on this and other Indoor Air Quality issues, call Scott County Environmental Health at 952-496-8652.