Anyone know a person who has been sick or died from RADON gas?

Question

I live in CT on the coast, rich in some areas with radon gas. When buying a house a Radon test is recommended. If over the test of 48 house the average amount of radon gas is over the law limit, the seller is required to put in a radon system which is almost $2,000. and rather unsightly, and requires maintenence My sources say there is no documented proof of death by cause of radon, and another engineer friend took a radon system apart and said it really seems to be a bunch of baloney. I am asking you for true and documented proof. Thanks.

Answer 1

I would very much like to answer your question from another angle. I assume the premise of your question is that you are very concerned about Radon, and its presence in your home and want to know if, or what action you need to take.

First step is that you should see if you have a radon problem. For this, go to a hardware store and purchase an at home SHORT TERM radon test. They are very easy, and cost around $30. After you conduct the test, you mail it to a lab, and they will tell you the Radon level in your house. If you are under 4.0 pico curies per liter, you do not have a problem. If you are over that level, then call a professional to test. Do not let anyone install a mitigation system until a LONG TERM test is done.

The second question is how long you plan to live in this house. If it is for a short time (2-4 years), radon will not be a problem. It is the 20 year or so exposure that can cause lung cancer.

Radon mitigation systems are simple, and are unsightly, but that is why they are inexepensive. They do not "vent" a house, but instead cause the air pressure in the surrounding soil to drop, so the radon gas can not enter.

As for documented proof of the effects of radon, please refer to the EPA's citizen's guide for radon. It cites miner studies, and the Iowa studies that have been mentioned before.

My friend... Radon IS a silent killer if one is exposed over a long time to concentrations over 4.0 picocuries per liter. Please, do a test, or get a test done ($150 by a pro) and put your mind to ease.

Thanks,
P.S. I am a Professional Engineer, and a Certified Radon Measurement Tech.

Answer 2

I found this FAQ from the National Cancer Institute to be pretty clear about what was known and what was not known about Radon exposure in houses from their perspective in 1998. It is always hard to prove cause and effect with cancer - Look at how many years the cigarette industry was able to deny that cigarettes cause cancer! Since then, additional research has been done that makes a much stronger cause and effect case.

The US EPA estimates 21,000 deaths a year. They cite the "The Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study". The second link is to the actual research paper published in the Journal of Epidemiology. As a person with a biological education familiar with the methods used, I think I can state pretty firmly that I'm convinced their methods and conclusions are sound. Additionally, this study has won numerous awards. The third link is to the EPA Radon Information pages. On that you will find, in addition to the Iowa study, A World Health Organization study estimating that 15% of all cancers are caused by Radon. Also on that page is a warning from the Surgeon General in 2005. The bottom line is that although there was some reason for skepticism a decade ago, the case has now been made - Radon in houses kills! After all, it makes sense when you consider just how radioactive Radon is, and that all radiation exposure increases your risk of cancer.

As far as the Radon system goes, that's another thing entirely. It wouldn't surprise me if systems to vent radon are less than effective. I certainly would want documented, scientific reports on any system before I purchased it.

You definitely should have your house tested, particularly if you have children. Because cell division is so active in children, the risk of genetic damage that could cause a problem later in life is believed to be greater.

Answer 3

Stories of injury from radon are anecdotal. In principle, it can cause injury; radon is radioactive, and so are the daughter products, so could cause cancer. In practice, the threat is small, and would only be exibited by a slight increase in cancer in radon-infested areas. The increase would be small enough to be of dubious statistical significance. Still, if one is worried about it, one can install a ventilation system to get rid of it. Typically, this consists of one or more blowers to exhaust air from under the house to the out of doors. As for me, I wouldn't spend the money.

Answer 4

Radon is a bad gas causing lung Cancer. The environmentalist possible have set the specks too low and I think osha has set a more correct level but I don't have my book any more.

Answer 5

I had a great aunt and uncle, who lived in a house. Neither one smoked or drank. Neither one had diabetes, to my knowledge. They drank city water from the tap, not well water. They lived in that house for 40 years or better. But both of them died from pancreatic cancer. The house was never tested, to my knowledge. That was more than 20 years ago, but I have always suspected radon.


Here is a link to a study doneon the effects of radon gas:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2986282&dopt=Abstract


Be well.