Radon

Details

• Personal Author:
  Barros N ; Field RW
• Description:
  Radon-222 (radon) is a radioactive noble gas that occurs naturally in soil and rock where radium is present as well as in many groundwater supplies. It is responsible for about 68 percent of our natural radiation and approximately 37 percent of our overall radiation exposure in the United States. Radon is fairly ubiquitous outdoors and can reach high concentrations in enclosed areas such as homes. Levels of radon tend to be highest in the lower levels of buildings. Radon is the leading environmental cause of cancer mortality. Studies of radon-exposed underground miners and direct evidence from large-scale pooled analyses from numerous residential radon studies demonstrate radon's potency as a lung carcinogen. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, con- tributing an estimated 21,000 deaths each year in the United States, and the primary cause of lung cancer among individuals who have never smoked. Smokers with radon exposures are at greater risk of developing lung cancer compared to individuals who never smoked with the same radon exposure, due to the synergistic effect (submultiplicative) between tobacco and radon. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Carcinogens Environmental Exposure Lung Lung Diseases Neoplasms Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety
• Keywords:
  Environmental Exposure Ground Water Lung Cancer Radiation Exposure Radon
• ISBN:
  9780313386008
• Publisher:
  Praeger
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Book
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Iowa ; OSHA Region 7 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20063836
• Citation:
  The Praeger handbook of environmental health. volume 2: agents of disease. Friis RH, ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2012 Apr; 2:525-546
• CAS Registry Number:
  Radon (CAS RN 10043-92-2)
• Editor(s):
  Friis RH
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  The Praeger handbook of environmental health. volume 2: agents of disease
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:575906425504b241e284dd10e4a9430d87ab164aa857b256c45346b8facfa311219849753b9b2c21cac0486fd54883d1518e7fd322ec35e9bc45e6c46cb06eee
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/222383/cdc_222383_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 11.46 MB ]