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A silent foe may be lurking in homes and buildings, and it can cause a number of negative health effects. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says can build up in the air of homes and buildings. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services warns that radon is responsible for approximately 21,000 deaths each year in the United States.
Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can be inhaled and become trapped in the lungs.
Over time, the radioactive energy in these particles can damage lung tissue. Although everyone is exposed to radon in some amount during his or her lifetime, some populations are at a higher risk of exposure to elevated radon levels as well as the more adverse health effects from that exposure.
Researchers and medical experts say that radon poses no serious threat at normal levels encountered in the environment. However, exposure to elevated levels of radon can adversely affect the lungs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates the main health implication to increased radon exposure is lung cancer. Additional lung diseases that can develop due to radon exposure include emphysema, chronic interstitial pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis.
Although smoking is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer, radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, says the EPA. People who smoke and are exposed to elevated levels of radon are doubly affected.
Many factors can affect the risk of radon-related lung cancer as a result of exposure. They include age at time of exposure, duration of exposure, concentration of radon, cigarette smoking, climate and time of year, and the degree to which radon particles attach to dust particles.
Radon is a risk to lung health for those exposed to high levels and for long durations of time.
A simple radon test can determine the level of radon in a building, and there are radon mitigation strategies that can reduce radon levels to keep people healthier.
