What is a safe and appropriate level of radon gas? This is really 2 different questions. The very first is: "What is a safe level of radon gas?" The 2nd is: "What is an acceptable level of radon gas?" What is a safe level of radon gas? View Details is the simpler of the two questions.
Radon gas is a carcinogen which causes lung cancer. The United States EPA has actually put it clearly, specifying, "Any radon direct exposure has some risk of causing lung cancer. The lower the radon level in your house, the lower your family's threat of lung cancer." The typical person gets a greater dosage of radiation from the radon levels in their house than from their combined exposure to all other radiation sources, natural or manufactured.
Depending on your geographic place, the radon levels of the air you breathe outside of your house might be as high as 0. 75 p, Ci/L. The national average of outdoors radon levels is 0. 4 p, Ci/L and it is estimated by the National Academy of Sciences that outside radon levels trigger roughly 800 of the 21,000 radon caused lung cancer deaths in the United States each year.
Lung cancer threat rises 16% per 2. 7 p, Ci/L increase in radon exposure. World Health Organization, 2009 research studies show that radon is the main reason for lung cancer amongst people who have never ever smoked. However, the absolute varieties of radon-induced lung cancers are much larger in people who smoke, or who have actually smoked in the past, due to a strong combined effect of cigarette smoking and radon.
4 p, Ci/L) as the target radon level for indoor radon levels. Sadly two-thirds of all homes exceed this level. The United States EPA was tasked with setting practical standards and suggestions for the nation. To this end, the United States EPA has actually set an action level of 4 p, Ci/L. At or above this level of radon, the EPA recommends you take corrective steps to lower your direct exposure to radon gas.
0 p, Ci/L is considered acceptable, as stated in the BEIR VI research study . It is approximated that a decrease of radon levels to below 2 p, Ci/L across the country would likely reduce the annual lung cancer deaths credited to radon by 50%. However, even with an action level of 2.