| Radon
may be associated with a substantially higher risk for lung cancer
than previously thought New analysis of studies done in North America, Europe, and Asia suggests that the cancer risk posed by residential radon exposure may be substantially higher than previously thought, according to an article in the May issue of the Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology. "Our findings indicate that the exposure assessment models used in many previous studies may have underestimated the risk posed by residential radon exposure by 50 percent or more," said lead author R. William Field, Ph.D. The American team examined several exposure assessment methods used by previous residential radon studies, comparing these models to a more comprehensive exposure method that linked a person's movement to various radon measurements within a home. All of the models were assessed with use of the same study population. The exposure methods used by previous studies all produced lower risk estimates than the comprehensive method. The highest degree of error was noted for methods that based risk solely on basement radon measurements. "While radon concentrations tend to be highest in basements, people typically spend limited time there," Field said. "A more accurate assessment of risk can be formulated by linking multiple radon measurements taken within a home to where and how much time an occupant spends in the home." Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer
deaths among Americans. Although the majority of lung cancer deaths
are attributable to smoking, researchers estimate that "Because of the magnitude of lung cancer incidence and its poor survival rate, even secondary causes of lung cancer, such as prolonged residential radon exposure, are important," Field said. Radon is a naturally occurring, odorless,
tasteless, and colorless |