Radon: An Overview of Health Effects

Details

• Personal Author:
  Field RW
• Description:
  Protracted exposure to radon and its decay products is one of the greatest environmental health threats. In this article, radon is used to refer to the gas itself (radon-222) as well as its decay products. In cases where the text focuses specifically on the gas, it is referred to as radon 222. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in North America and the leading cause of lung cancer for individuals who have never smoked. Overall, radon is also the leading environmental cause of cancer mortality in North America. It was also the first respiratory occupational carcinogen ever to be identified. The occurrence of radon-222 in homes has been known since the 1950s. In fact, surveys of homes built in alum shale-rich areas of Scandinavia identified elevated residential radon-222 concentrations as early as the 1970s. Radon received heightened attention in the United States in 1984 when a construction engineer named Stanley Watras triggered a portal radiation monitor at the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant in Pennsylvania, the United States. The source of the radioactive contamination was found to be radon-222 decay products from his home that had attached to his clothes. Mr. Watras's home was found to have basement radon concentrations of 162 800 Bq m-3 (4400 pCi l-1 ). The magnitude of the elevated radon-222 concentrations received worldwide attention, and a new environmental threat was discovered. Subsequent radon-222 surveys in various parts of the world have demonstrated that the potential for radon exposure is widespread. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has concluded that radon is a Group 1 carcinogen. This article and the following articles on radon provide a general overview of its characteristics, sources, occurrences, and health effects, as well as guidance on both radon measurement and mitigation. Additional information on the health effects related to protracted radon exposure can be found in the 'Further Reading' and 'Relevant Websites' sections. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Carcinogens Environmental Exposure Lung Lung Diseases Neoplasms Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Radiation Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety

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• Keywords:
  Environmental Exposure Gases Health Effects Lung Cancer Occupational Exposure Radioactive Decay Radiological Hazards Radon 222
• ISBN:
  9780444522733
• Publisher:
  Elsevier B.V.
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Book
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20063847
• Citation:
  Encyclopedia of environmental health, 1st edition. Nriagu JO, ed. London, UK: Elsevier, 2011 Oct; 4:745-753
• Contact Point Address:
  R. W. Field, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
• CAS Registry Number:
  Radon (CAS RN 10043-92-2)
• Editor(s):
  Nriagu JO
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Encyclopedia of environmental health, 1st edition
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e370573216cc527c7f62a641514dc7a538cdaa371a58e1e746cbe1df905ffe5a053c961d00ed3477a84f9afb5759a24b185c34b66608b8f198d99d87225e8475
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/222393/cdc_222393_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 301.75 KB ]