Elevated levels of indoor radon increases the risk of lung cancer
Radon gas decays into solid radioactive particles that can get trapped in your lungs when you inhale them. 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 magnitude of radon health risks. However, radon is now considered to be the second best studied carcinogen – behind only tobacco. The first radon studies focused on uranium miners, but in recent decades, many case-control residential studies have also been conducted in the United States and many other parts of the world. Most developed countries in the world have now established indoor radon action levels. Most range from 2.7 pCi/L (100 Bq/m3) to 8.1 pCi/L (300 Bq/m3)
As you can see in the chart below, smoking can multiply the radon risk by approximately 10 times. There are currently no conclusive data on whether children are at greater risk than adults from radon.
Your chances of getting lung cancer from radon depend mostly on:
- How much radon is in your home
- The amount of time you spend in your home
- Whether you are a smoker or have ever smoked
Radon Risk If You Smoke*:
| Radon Level | If 1,000 people who smoked were exposed to this level over a lifetime…. | The risk of cancer from radon exposure compares to…. | WHAT TO DO: Stop Smoking and… |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 pCi/L | About 260 people could get lung cancer | 250 times the risk of drowning | Fix your home |
| 10 pCi/L | About 150 people could get lung cancer | 200 times the risk of dying in a home fire | Fix your home |
| 8 pCi/L | About 120 people could get lung cancer | 30 times the risk of dying in a fall | Fix your home |
| 4 pCi/L | About 62 people could get lung cancer | 5 times the risk of dying in an car crash | Fix your home |
| 2 pCi/L | About 32 people could get lung cancer | 6 times the risk of dying from poison | Consider fixing between 2 and 4 pCi/L |
| 1.3 pCi/L | About 20 people could get lung cancer | (Average indoor radon level) | Reducing radon levels below 2 pCi/L is difficult |
| 0.4 pCi/L | (Average outdoor radon level) |
*These lung cancers are in addition to the normal occurrence of lung cancer in the absence of radon. Without any radon exposure, 123 people out of 1,000 male smokers would be expected to get lung cancer; or 58 people out of 1,000 female smokers would be expected to get lung cancer. (BEIR IV Report, National Academy Press, 1988)
Radon Risk If You’ve Never Smoked**:
| Radon Level | If 1,000 people who smoked were exposed to this level over a lifetime…. | The risk of cancer from radon exposure compares to…. | WHAT TO DO: Stop Smoking and… |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 pCi/L | About 36 people could get lung cancer | 35 times the risk of drowning | Fix your home |
| 10 pCi/L | About 18 people could get lung cancer | 20 times the risk of dying in a home fire | Fix your home |
| 8 pCi/L | About 15 people could get lung cancer | 4 times the risk of dying in a fall | Fix your home |
| 4 pCi/L | About 7 people could get lung cancer | The risk of dying is a car crash | Fix your home |
| 2 pCi/L | About 4 people could get lung cancer | The risk of dying from poison | Consider fixing between 2 and 4 pCi/L |
| 1.3 pCi/L | About 2 people could get lung cancer | (Average indoor radon level) | Reducing radon levels below 2 pCi/L is difficult |
| 0.4 pCi/L | (Average outdoor radon level) |
**These lung cancers are in addition to the normal occurrence of lung cancer in the absence of radon. Without any radon exposure, 11 people out of 1,000 male smokers would be expected to get lung cancer; or 6 people out of 1,000 female smokers would be expected to get lung cancer (BEIR IV Report, National Academy Press, 1988).
Office of Radiological Health | 109 Governor Street, 7th Floor | Richmond, VA 23219
Telephone (804) 864-8150 | Fax: (804) 864-8155