Re: HHS RELEASE--SURGEON GENERAL RELEASES NATIONAL HEALTH ADVISORY ON RADON

[Andrew Green <andrew.green@LANL.GOV>]

OOOOweeee! Let's bring back n-rays (they've been neglected for a century 

now): wood clothing could be a new economy. Schedule your work week based 

on your bio-rhythms.



 >"Indoor radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United 

States and breathing it over

 >prolonged periods can present a significant health risk to families all 

over the county,"



What is there to support this statement??



 >"It's important to know that this threat is completely preventable..."



Really? What is this based on?



  >Radon is an invisible, odorless and tasteless gas, with no immediate 

health symptoms



Not to mention "silent". We have to distinguish between this and those 

noisy and therefore not as sneaky radio-active gases that wake us up at night.



 >one in every 15 homes nationwide have a high radon level at or above the 

recommended radon action >level of 4 picoCuries (pCi/L) per liter of air.



Who defines 4pCi/litre as high? I like 100. My dog likes 10. What happens at 4?



 >More than 20,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer every year.



What evidence is there supporting this?



 >Millions of homes have an elevated radon level.



Is this science??



 >If you have a radon level of 4 pCi/L or more, take steps to remedy the 

problem as soon as possible.



Who ya gonna call? Radonbuste-e-e-e-e-rs.



 >...advice urging all Americans to get their homes tested for radon.



Who ya gonna call?                  One more time class and we'll all be 

allowed out to recess.



 > A national Public Service Announcement (PSA) that was released to 

television stations across

 > America in January, National Radon Action Month, ......



Upcoming events to bolster your trust in the scientific method: February is 

National Ectoplasm month - the first week of March is Astrology Awareness 

Week. [Withdrawal of 20000 troops from Iraq will coincide with alignment of 

Saturn, Mars and my bathroom.]



 >For more information about radon go to EPA's Web site www.epa.gov/radon; 

or call your state radon >office



"Sorry, did you say "information"? Oh.... I just misunderstood you for a 

second."

I went to the above link and on to http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0275.htm 

and am puzzled by what I see. Does anyone understand their system? I see 

many instances of "not available at this time", "withdrawn", "no data". Not 

a single reference I could read on that page. I did however find 

http://www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/assessment/402-r-03-003.pdf . I have yet 

to read this whole thing but wondered whether dust might more likely be the 

culprit than radon?



 >structures including workplaces, schools, offices, houses and apartment 

buildings, and vehicles.



Vehicles??? Any light on this? Perhaps they become saturated while garaged?





Thanks for the posting. Just me spouting - not my employer's fault.

Andrew



************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To

unsubscribe, send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the

text "unsubscribe radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail,

with no subject line. You can view the Radsafe archives at

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/