“You can’t see, smell or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America and claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year. In fact, the EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools and other buildings for radon.

Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk and testing radon levels in your home can help prevent unnecessary exposure. If a high radon level is detected in your home, you can take steps to fix the problem to protect yourself and your family.”

United States Environmental Protection – EPA

(https://www.epa.gov/radon/national-radon-action-month-information)

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that seeps out of rocks and soil. Radon comes from uranium that has been in the ground since the time the earth was formed, and the rate of radon seepage is very variable, partly because the amounts of uranium in the soil vary considerably. Radon flows from the soil into outdoor air and also into the air in homes from the movement of gases in the soil beneath homes. Outside air typically contains very low levels of radon, but it builds up to higher concentrations indoors when it is unable to disperse. Some underground mines, especially uranium mines, contain much higher levels of radon.

Radon is present outdoors and indoors. It is normally found at very low levels in outdoor air and in drinking water from rivers and lakes. It can be found at higher levels in the air in houses and other buildings, as well as in water from underground sources, such as well water.

Radon breaks down into solid radioactive elements called radon progeny (such as polonium-218, polonium-214, and lead-214). Radon progeny can attach to dust and other particles and can be breathed into the lungs. As radon and radon progeny in the air break down, they give off radiation that can damage the DNA inside the body’s cells.

 How are people exposed to radon?

1-At home and in other buildings.

For both adults and children, most exposure to radon comes from being indoors in homes, offices, schools, and other buildings. The levels of radon in homes and other buildings depend on the characteristics of the rock and soil in the area. As a result, radon levels vary greatly in different parts of the United States, sometimes even within neighborhoods. Elevated radon levels have been found in every state.

Radon gas given off by soil or rock can enter buildings through cracks in floors or walls; construction joints; or gaps in foundations around pipes, wires, or pumps. Radon levels are usually highest in the basement or crawl space. This level is closest to the soil or rock that is the source of the radon. Therefore, people who spend much of their time in basement rooms at home or at work have a greater risk for being exposed.

Small amounts of radon can also be released from the water supply into the air. As the radon moves from the water to air, it can be inhaled. Water that comes from deep, underground wells in rock may have higher levels of radon, whereas surface water (from lakes or rivers) usually has very low radon levels. For the most part, water does not contribute much to overall exposure to radon.

Radon exposure can also occur from some building materials if they are made from radon-containing substances. Almost any building material made from natural substances, including concrete and wallboard, may give off some level of radon. In most cases these levels are very low, but in a few instances these materials may contribute significantly to radon exposure.

Some granite countertops may expose people to different levels of radon. Most health and radiation experts agree that while a small portion of granite countertops might give off increased levels of radon, most countertops give off extremely low levels.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it’s very unlikely that a granite countertop in a home would increase the radiation level above the normal, natural background level that comes from nearby soil and rocks. Still, people concerned about radon from countertops and from other household sources can test these levels using home detection kits or can hire a professional to do the testing (see the section “How can I avoid exposure to radon?”).

According to the EPA, the average indoor radon level is about 1.3 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). People should take action to lower radon levels in the home if the level is 4.0 pCi/L or higher. The EPA estimates that nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the United States has elevated radon levels.

Outdoors, radon generally disperses and does not reach high levels. Average levels of radon outdoors, according to the EPA, are about 0.4 pCi/L.

2-At certain jobs

 In the workplace, people working underground, such as some types of miners, are among the most likely to be exposed to high levels of radon. High death rates from lung problems among miners in some parts of the world were first noted hundreds of years ago, long before people knew what radon was. Studies of radon-exposed miners during the 1950s and 1960s confirmed the link between radon exposure and lung cancer.

Higher levels of radon exposure are also more likely for people who work in uranium processing factories or who come in contact with phosphate fertilizers, which may have high levels of radium (an element that can break down into radon).

Does radon cause cancer?

 Being exposed to radon for a long period of time can lead to lung cancer. Radon gas in the air breaks down into tiny radioactive elements (radon progeny) that can lodge in the lining of the lungs, where they can give off radiation. This radiation can damage lung cells and eventually lead to lung cancer.

Cigarette smoking is by far the most common cause of lung cancer in the United States, but radon is the second leading cause. Scientists estimate that about 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year are related to radon.

Exposure to the combination of radon gas and cigarette smoke creates a greater risk for lung cancer than either factor alone. Most radon-related lung cancers develop in smokers. However, radon is also thought to cause a significant number of lung cancer deaths among non-smokers in the United States each year.

Although radon is chemically inert and electrically uncharged, it is radioactive, which means that radon atoms in the air can spontaneously decay, or change to other atoms. When the resulting atoms, called radon progeny, are formed, they are electrically charged and can attach themselves to tiny dust particles in indoor air. These dust particles can easily be inhaled into the lung and can adhere to the lining of the lung. The deposited atoms decay, or change, by emitting a type of radiation called alpha radiation, which has the potential to damage cells in the lung. Alpha radiations can disrupt DNA of these lung cells. This DNA damage has the potential to be one step in a chain of events that can lead to cancer. Alpha radiations travel only extremely short distances in the body. Thus, alpha radiations from decay of radon progeny in the lungs cannot reach cells in any other organs, so it is likely that lung cancer is the only potentially important cancer hazard posed by radon.

For centuries, it has been known that some underground miners suffered from higher rates of lung cancer than the general population. In recent decades, a growing body of evidence has causally linked their lung cancers to exposure to high levels of radon and also to cigarette smoking. The connection between radon and lung cancer in miners has raised concern that radon in homes might be causing lung cancer in the general population, although the radon levels in most homes are much lower than in most mines. The National Research Council study, which has been carried out by the sixth Committee on Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) VI, has used the most recent information available to estimate the risks posed by exposure to radon in homes.

You can’t see, smell or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America and claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year. In fact, the EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools and other buildings for radon.

Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk and testing radon levels in your home can help prevent unnecessary exposure. If a high radon level is detected in your home, you can take steps to fix the problem to protect yourself and your family.

Radon, being naturally occurring, cannot be entirely eliminated from our homes. Of the deaths that attributes to radon (both independently and through joint action with smoking), perhaps one-third could be avoided by reducing radon in homes where it is above the “action guideline level” of 148 Bqm-3 (4 pCiL-1) to below the action levels recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency.4

The risk of lung cancer caused by smoking is much higher than the risk of lung cancer caused by indoor radon. Most of the radon-related deaths among smokers would not have occurred if the victims had not smoked. Furthermore, there is evidence for a synergistic interaction between smoking and radon.

“A few precautions that are recommended for all pregnant women include the following:

“The reported incidence of PDA in term neonates is only 1 in 2,000 births, accounting for 5%–10% of all congenital heart disease.⁶ The incidence of PDA in preterm neonates is far greater, with reports ranging from 20%–60% (depending on population and diagnostic criteria).³ The increased incidence of PDA in the preterm infant is attributable to the lack of normal closure mechanisms due to immaturity. Gestational age and weight are intimately linked to PDA in preterm neonates. Specifically, PDA is present in 80% of infants weighing less than 1,200 g at birth, compared to 40% of infants weighing less than 2,000 g at birth.^1,7 Furthermore, symptomatic PDA is present in 48% of infants with a birth weight of less than 1,000 g.”

National Library of Medicine (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3462096/)

“Every 4.5 minutes a baby is born with a condition that affects the structure or function of their body—collectively, these conditions are referred to as birth defects. They can vary widely in how and where they affect the body, and include things from cleft lip to heart disease problems. While medical advancements have greatly improved the health and survival of these individuals, many of these conditions are lifelong and require lifelong care.  While medical advancements have greatly improved the health and survival of these individuals, many of these conditions are lifelong and require lifelong care.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/esophagealatresia.html)

“The thyroid is a small gland at the front of your neck that makes the thyroid hormone that regulates your metabolism, says Dr. Thomas J. Fahey III,  Chief of Endocrine Surgery, and Director of the Endocrine Oncology Program. “The thyroid has a wide-ranging effect throughout the body. It contributes to how fast your heart beats, how fast your hair grows, and how fast things pass through your intestines,” Dr. Fahey says.

The thyroid gland commonly malfunctions, typically by over- or under-producing hormones. An over-functioning thyroid gland can trigger “hyperthyroidism,” which can cause your body to race and your heart to pound, as well as weight loss, sleep trouble, muscle weakness, frequent or loose bowel movements, nervousness, or irritability. The most common cause of hyperthyroidism in the U.S. is Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. An under-functioning thyroid, which frequently stems from the autoimmune disorder Hashimoto’s disease, may lead to “hypothyroidism” and resulting fatigue, weight gain, depression, constipation, heavy or irregular menstrual periods, or problems conceiving. Family history increases the risk for both Hashimoto’s and Graves’.”

Weill Cornell Medicine (https://weillcornell.org/news/understanding-thyroid-problems-disease)

 “The main hormones your thyroid make and release in the body are triiodothyronine (T3) thyroxine (T4).

Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid creates and releases more of these hormones than you need.

Hyperthyroidism, also called overactive thyroid, is when the thyroid gland makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. Thyroid hormones control the way the body uses energy, so they affect nearly every organ in your body, even the way your heart beats. With too much thyroid hormone, creating many of your body’s functions to speed up.

About 1 out of 100 Americans ages 12 years and older have hyperthyroidism  Hyperthyroidism is more common in women and people older than 60.”

National Institute of  Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease –  NIDDH

“Women are much more likely than men to develop hypothyroidism. The disease is also more common among people older than age 60.¹

You are more likely to have hypothyroidism if you

• had a thyroid problem before, such as a goiter
• had surgery or radioactive iodine to correct a thyroid problem
• received radiation treatment to the thyroid, neck, or chest
• have a family history of thyroid disease
• were pregnant in the past 6 months
• have Turner syndrome NIH external link, a genetic disorder that affects women.”

National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases – NIH

(https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/hypothyroidism#who)

“Your thyroid gland, as an endocrine gland, makes and secretes hormones. Your thyroid produces and releases the following hormones:

• Thyroxine (T4): This is the primary hormone your thyroid makes and releases. Although your thyroid makes the most of this hormone, it doesn’t have much of an effect on your metabolism. Once your thyroid releases T4 into your bloodstream, it can convert to T3 through a process called deiodination in the liver.
• Triiodothyronine (T3): Your thyroid produces lesser amounts of T3 than T4, but it has a much greater effect on your metabolism than T4.
• Reverse triiodothyronine (RT3): Your thyroid makes very small amounts of RT3, which reverses the effects of T3.
• Calcitonin: This hormone helps regulate the amount of calcium in your blood. It plays a role in regulating the level of calcium in your blood by decreasing it. The C-cells in your thyroid gland produce calcitonin.

Your thyroid’s main job is to control your metabolism — how your body uses energy. Sometimes, your thyroid doesn’t work properly. These conditions are common and treatable.

More than 12 percent of the U.S. population will experience a thyroid condition at some point in their lives.  Yet, thyroid disease often goes undetected: as many as 60% of people don’t know they have it, which is why regular screening is important.”

Cleveland Clinic (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23188-thyroid)

“The term “goiter” simply refers to the abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. It is important to know that the presence of a goiter does not necessarily mean that the thyroid gland is malfunctioning. A goiter can occur in a gland that is producing too much hormone (hyperthyroidism), too little hormone (hypothyroidism), or the correct amount of hormone (euthyroidism). A goiter indicates there is a condition present which is causing the thyroid to grow abnormally.  One of the most common causes of goiter formation worldwide is iodine deficiency. While this was a very frequent cause of goiter in the United States many years ago, it is no longer commonly observed. The primary activity of the thyroid gland is to concentrate iodine from the blood to make thyroid hormone. The gland cannot make enough thyroid hormone if it does not have enough iodine. Therefore, with iodine deficiency the individual will become hypothyroid. Consequently, the pituitary gland in the brain senses the thyroid hormone level is too low and sends a signal to the thyroid. This signal is called thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). As the name implies, this hormone stimulates the thyroid to produce thyroid hormone and to grow in size. This abnormal growth in size produces what is termed a “goiter.” Thus, iodine deficiency is one cause of goiter development. Wherever iodine deficiency is common, goiter will be common. It remains a common cause of goiters in other parts of the world.”

American Thyroid Association (https://www.thyroid.org/goiter/)