I’ve learned some interesting facts about radon recently. Some scientists suggest that ‘no level of radon is safe’ and this comment is published in EPA’s Citizen’s Guide. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Yet it is invisible and may be present without your knowledge.
Radon is among the most toxic of elements and some scientists suggest that any exposure should be avoided. Here is an excerpt from a recent study:
There is no clearly safe level of exposure to four of the most common environmental toxins in the world, and more should be done to protect the public, researchers argue in a new report.
The toxins in question — lead, radon, tobacco smoke and byproducts of drinking-water disinfection* — are ubiquitous, and there is growing evidence that even low-level exposure can have health consequences, according to the report, published in the medical journal PloS Medicine.
‘Emerging evidence indicates that exposures must be virtually eliminated to protect human health,’ conclude Dr. Donald Wigle, of the University of Ottawa in Canada, and Dr. Bruce Lanphear, of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio.
The problem, Wigle told Reuters Health, is that there are no known safe levels of exposure to these toxins, yet people are persistently in contact with them.
‘These are widespread exposures,’ he said. ‘They’re not rare.’
Most people associate radon with basements, but if you have well water it is possible to have radon in your water. The danger from waterborne radon is inhaling it in the shower or while standing at your kitchen sink. Continue reading →
