Radon: The silent killer
Is the air in your home really "clean"?
If you've ever bought a home, you probably recall the radon test required as part of the purchase and sales agreement. Radon is an odorless gas that can occur naturally and is invisible to the naked eye, making it challenging to detect high levels in your home without testing. Despite its lack of visibility, radon poses serious health risks. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has set a limit of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) for radon levels in homes, as it estimates that 1 in 15 homes exceed this standard (see Figure 1).
High levels of radon in indoor air is associated with increased risk of asthma and lung cancer. According to the USEPA and the US Surgeon General, radon is the “second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States” and is estimated to contribute to more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year (see Figure 2).
According to the National Cancer Institute, the national average annual lung cancer incidence rate is 35.3 cases per 100,000 people. Therefore, the US counties marked in red, orange, yellow, and some highlighted in light blue on Figure 3 are areas where the lung cancer incidence rate exceeds the national average. These regions also roughly correspond to the areas depicted in Figure 1 with estimated high radon indoor air levels. However, it's important to note that other factors contribute to elevated lung cancer risk, such as tobacco smoking and high arsenic levels in water supplies. As a result, not all the lung cancer incidence shown in Figure 3 can be solely attributed to indoor radon.
The good news is that exposure to radon is entirely preventable. You can even obtain a free test kit to assess radon levels in your home. It's recommended to periodically test indoor air for radon every few years, regardless of whether you have a radon mitigation system in place.
I acquired a complimentary test kit from https://states.aelabs.com, which included instructions, a return mailer envelope, and a prepaid postage label (refer to the photo below). Conducting the test is remarkably simple: simply open the package, place the test kit in a lower-level area of your home, such as the basement, and allow it to remain there for 48-72 hours.
Another way to to reduce the risk of asthma and lung cancer is to test your water for arsenic, especially if you rely on your own well. Inhalation of arsenic while showering can serve as an additional exposure route, underscoring the importance of water testing. Arsenic exposure is also linked to an elevated risk of bladder cancer. States such as New Hampshire and New Jersey have implemented strong drinking water limits of 5 parts per billion to safeguard residents supplied by large water systems with high arsenic levels. To ensure the safety of you and your family, it is advisable to adhere to the 5 parts per billion arsenic limit when considering the installation of a reverse osmosis or other treatment system for well water.
The cost of the arsenic test in drinking water is minimal, typically around $30, and offers significant returns on your investment. If you reside in New Hampshire, you can find laboratories that offer testing for arsenic and other contaminants in your well water through this link. For those outside New Hampshire, similar resources are available in most states.
You can learn more by following this link to a presentation delivered to the commission to study environmentally-triggered chronic illness about radon. The presentation was given by Lynne Clement, representing the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services.
I am privileged to continue my role as chair of this commission, facilitating crucial discussions and proposing solutions for chronic disease prevention within our communities. For further insights into the significant endeavors of this commission and to access recordings of our meetings, please follow this link and view additional content on our YouTube channel. Our next meeting is set for March 15th where we will be hearing a presentation on the Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.
In addition, I’m honored to have been asked to present on PFAS, Cancer, and Policy at the March 7, 2024 Consortium Center for PFAS and Cancer (CPAC) at Georgetown University. The event is free and you can register to join here.
Mindi Messmer, MS, PG, CG is an environmental and public health scientist and author of Female Disruptors: Stories of Mighty Female Scientists. The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and through your local bookstore.
"Female Disruptors is a wonderful mix of stories about mighty female scientists, and carefully documented data on everything from discrimination against women in STEM to the impact of balancing a career in science with motherhood. Mindi makes this personal by interweaving her own stories, which makes the work come alive. If you want to both be infuriated at woman scientist's plight, and also hear words of hope, and solid ideas for change, read this book."
~ Dr. Linda Rhodes, VMD, PhD
Thank you Mindi for passing this on. People don’t know and it’s just not talked about enough. New Hampshire has all this granite and we build on and around it everyone should test their home.