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Indoor Radon is the second
leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the
leading cause among non-smokers. Protect your family. Test
your home. During the month of January, EPA works to raise
the public's awareness about radon and the importance of
testing for radon -- especially in homes and schools. The
EPA, working in concert with Federal, State, and local
governments as well as volunteer organizations, conducts
many different programs to educate Americans about the
indoor radon health threat. About 1 in 15 homes has high
radon levels. If you haven't tested your home, do it now
during National Radon Action Month.
Exposure to Radon Causes Lung
Cancer In Non-smokers and Smokers Alike
Lung cancer
kills thousands of Americans every year. Peter Jennings’
death and Dana Reeve’s announcement have raised public
awareness about lung cancer, especially among people who
have never smoked. Smoking, radon, and secondhand smoke are
the leading causes of lung cancer. Although lung cancer can
be treated, the survival rate is one of the lowest for those
with cancer. From the time of diagnosis, between 11 and 15
percent of those afflicted will live beyond five years,
depending upon demographic factors. In many cases lung
cancer can be prevented; this is especially true for radon
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For additional
information about
Radon please visit EPA web site
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Rn
Radon is a
gaseous radioactive element having the symbol Rn,
the atomic number 86, an atomic weight of 222, a
melting point of -71ºC, a boiling point of -62ºC,
and (depending on the source, there are between 20
and 25 isotopes of radon - 20 cited in the chemical
summary, 25 listed in the table of isotopes); it is
an extremely toxic, colorless gas; it can be
condensed to a transparent liquid and to an opaque,
glowing solid; it is derived from the radioactive
decay of radium and is used in cancer treatment, as
a tracer in leak detection, and in radiography.
(From the word radium, the substance from which it
is derived.) Sources: Condensed Chemical
Dictionary, and Handbook of Chemistry and Physics,
69th ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1988 |
