Lung Cancer Risk Radon Gas

The main cause and risk factor of lung cancer and most of respiratory diseases are small particles that bring by air. One of them is radon gas.

Radon gas doesn’t have colors and odor, and it is generated by the breakdown of radioactive radium, which is often found in uranium mining, radon can found in the Earth's crust. Radon has a half-life of 3.8 days and decays into short-lived radioactive isotopes of bismuth, polonium and lead, known as radon progeny or radon daughters. When radon products decays and ionize genetic material that may lead mutations that sometimes turn into cancerous, including lung cancer. Radon gas exposure is the second major cause of lung cancer after smoking.

The exposure of radon can occur during mining for uranium and other metal and in the processing of ores and radioactive materials. Radon has cause lung cancer cases over 15% that occur among non-smokers. The association between radon and lung cancer appears to be well founded and epidemiological studies have shown an increased risk of lung cancer with increasing exposures to radon or its decay products. For miners, the excess relative risk for lung cancer is about 1–2% per WLM (Working Level Month).

Exposure to radon progeny is usually measured in working levels (WL) and cumulative exposure is expressed as WL-months (WLM); 1.0 WL is any combination of progeny that releases 1.3 x 105 MeV; alternatively, exposure to radon can be expressed as picocuries per litre (pCi/L)2. One pCi/L is about equivalent to 0.005 WLM and the standard in the US for radon exposure in mines is 4 WLM/year2.

The level of radon gas are vary depend on locality and the composition. In big country, radon has concern as problem. Such as: in Cornwall UK, which is has granite substratum, the building at that place are forced to make fan ventilation to lower radon gas concentrations. Same thing happen in United States, EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) says that 1 out of 15 home in United States has radon gas level beyond recommended guideline, and the highest radon gas concentration is in Iowa. Many studies held in Iowa shows 50% increased lung cancer risk, with prolonged radon exposure above the EPA's action level of 4 pCi/L.

Main article - Smoking Lung Cancer