This is Part 2 of a 5-part educational series for #NationalRadonActionMonth.
Prolonged exposure to elevated radon concentrations causes an increased risk of lung cancer. The decay products resulting from radon are the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the United States.
According to an EPA Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes, the lifetime risk of lung cancer deaths if 1,000 people who never smoked were exposed to 4.0 pCi/L over a lifetime, about seven people could develop lung cancer. The risk of cancer from radon exposure compares to the risk of dying in a car crash. It is important to fix homes and schools if they have elevated radon levels.
All major health organizations agree that radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths every year. It is estimated that 22,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States are related to radon. The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths—only smoking causes more.
While level of radon, duration of exposure, and other cancer risk factors determine whether or no one will develop lung cancer, the EPA ranks radon in the highest classification of cancer-causing substances: Group A: Known human carcinogen. Scientists are more certain about radon risks than risks from most other cancer-causing substances due to various studies of cancers in humans, such as the underground miner study and more recent epidemiological studies.
According to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, 71.6 percent of Iowa homes test above the EPA’s “action level” of 4.0 pCi/L. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers the entire state of Iowa to be a high-risk zone for radon gas. For most students and staff, the largest contributor to radon exposure is in the home. This is because people typically spend more time at home than anywhere else.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers the entire state of Iowa to be a high-risk zone for radon gas.
The second largest contributor to radon exposure for most students and staff is school. An EPA nationwide survey of radon levels in schools estimated that nearly one in five schools has at least one room with a short-term radon level above the action level of 4.0 pCi/L. Home radon testing kits can be acquired from the American Lung Association at lung.org/radon. Parents and staff are encouraged to test their homes for radon and to take action to reduce elevated concentrations.
EAIS can help
While there is no “acceptable level” of radon, the EPA has established 4 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L) as the United States “Action Level” at which a plan should be made to correct elevated radon levels. Since 2015 EAIS has engaged Iowa school districts with its School Radon Training & Support System to train and coach district staff through the process of testing their buildings for radon. For more information about EAIS radon work, click here.