Radon in the news

["Bernadette Baca" <Bernadette.Baca@tdh.state.tx.us>]

In referencing the resurgence of so called harmful quotes, I found 
this one in one of my electronic newspapers.  Some good info and 
then, of course, some not so good.  Overall, if you can "understand" 
the purpose and statistics quoted, it may not be "so" bad.

Some of the statements can easily be misconstrude by the 
general public and I forsee some clever individuals making some big 
bucks off of radon elimination with the installation of "pumps" to reduce 
the radon concentration.  Hey, you can't make money by simply saying
open the window and turn a fan on.  

I forsee a possible rise in radon testing now this article is out and circulating 
about.
------------------------------------
01:29 PM ET 02/19/98

Smoking plus radon equals cancer, report warns

     By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
     WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Radon, an invisible radioactive gas
found in virtually every home, is killing between 15,000 and 20,000
Americans every year, a report issued  Thursday said.
      Smokers have an especially high risk, the report by the 
National Research Council (NRC) said.
     ``Depending on which model is used, indoor radon contributes
to 15,400 or 21,800 of the estimated 157,400 lung cancer deaths
each year in the United States,'' the NRC said in a statement.
     ``The majority of radon-related deaths are among smokers;
perhaps 2,100 or 2,900 are among nonsmokers.''
      Radon is produced when uranium found naturally in rocks
and soil breaks down. It disperses very quickly in the open air but
can concentrate in closed areas, such as a house or a mine tunnel.
      "For centuries it has been known that some underground
miners suffered from higher rates of lung cancer than the general
population,'' the NRC report read.
      ``In recent decades, a growing body of evidence has causally
linked their lung cancers to exposure to high levels of radon and 
also to cigarette smoking.''
     Most miners smoke and it has been hard to separate out the
effects, but the NRC said it was getting better at this. It said
Thursday's report had substantially more information than previous
reports issued in 1988 and 1991.
   ``The risk of lung cancer caused by smoking is much higher
than the risk of lung cancer caused by indoor radon. Most of the
radon-related deaths among smokers would not have occurred if the
victims had not smoked,'' the report said.
   ``Nevertheless, the estimated 15,400 or 21,800 deaths
attributed to radon in combination with cigarette smoking and radon
alone in never-smokers constitute an important public health problem.''
     Radon could act to mutate the genetic material in cells, and
it could act on some people known to be genetically susceptible
to cancer, the report said.
     It clings to dust particles, which stick to the lung lining.
That is why is causes lung cancer. But radon does not usually
get any farther inside the body to cause other types of cancer.
     It is everywhere and people should be aware of the risks.
    ``Radon-contaminated water and radium-rich building
materials can also contribute radon,'' the report read.
    ``Surveys of radon concentrations in the United States and
many other countries have shown that radon is ubiquitous indoors,''
the report added -- although this was usually at very low levels.
     The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set
recommended limits for radon indoors of 4 picocuries per liter
of air. There is a simple test for this and the EPA has
recommendations for ways to clear radon out of homes with higher
levels, including installation of a pump to keep air circulating
out of the house.
     The EPA estimates six percent of homes have radon levels
above 4 picocuries.

-------------------------------------
 
Bernadette Baca

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TDH - Bureau of Radiation Control     
Uranium Licensing Project
1100 West 49th
Austin, TX 78756 - 3189
(512) 834 - 6688  ext: 2206

-My supervisor has not read or approved this message, much less agree with my point of view.  Therefore use at your own risk.

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