Transcript What New Evidence Is There That Radon Causes Lung Cancer?

Western Regional Radon
Training Center
Slides to be Used for
Public Speaking for the Radon
Professional
Permission to use these slides for public presentations is hereby granted
exclusively to students of the WRRTC/AARST CE Public Speaking
Presentation. In exchange for the free use of these slides, the user agrees
to have the WRRTC logo and copyright date displayed on each slide in all
presentations, whether electronic or hard copy. Any commercial use in part
or in whole by training providers (other than WRRTC) is expressly
prohibited without prior authorization from James F. Burkhart, Director.
WRRTC © 2014
Radon
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Things to Know About Radon
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Gas
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Naturally occurring
Undetectable by
human senses
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Radioactive (and
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Colorless
Odorless
Tasteless
thus emits radiation
spontaneously).
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Is not stopped by
wood floors,
concrete or plastic
sheeting.
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How Does Radon Get Into a
House?
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Picture source: EPA Building Radon Out, April 2001
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The source of
most radon is
the soil or rock
beneath your
house.
It is drawn in by
the house itself
Radon and its Radon Decay
Products
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The radon decay products, also
abbreviated RDPs, come from the
radioactive decay of radon gas.
Once the radon enters the house, it begins
to decay into RDPs right away.
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Equilibrium Ratio
(Animated Slide)
Some
RDPs
drift to
walls,
ceilings
and
floor
RDPs
forming
in the air
Radon entering
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Radon Radioactively Changes into
Radon Decay Product and an Alpha
Particle (Animated Slide)
Radon
Alpha Particle
Radon Decay Product
DNA in Lung Cell
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Close-up of
Alpha Particle Damage on Plastic
Picture Source: J. Burkhart
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So, What is the Big Deal with
Radon?
Answer: There is now ample evidence that
breathing radon and radon decay
products (RDPs) can cause lung cancer!
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How Do We Know that Radon
Causes Lung Cancer?
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“For most pollutants, the assessment of human
risk is based on data from animals exposed to
very high levels of a given substance. The large
and obvious uncertainty associated with this
extrapolation…”
“Radon is a known human carcinogen. Estimates
of lung cancer risk for the general
population…are derived using human data…”
Source: Technical Support Document for the 1992 Citizen’s Guide to
Radon, page2-41.
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The Citizen’s Guide (2004)
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A good overview of
radon physics,
testing, and
mitigation
Contains the most upto-date guidelines
Page 12 contains the
risk assessment
charts for smokers
and never-smokers
Risk based on linearno-threshold model
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The Linear-No-Threshold Model
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The linear-no-threshold (LNT) model says that any
amount of radiation can cause some cancer, although
the incidence of cancer decreases with decreasing
LNT
exposure.
(used
by EPA)
Cancer
Incidence
Model that
has a
threshold
(not used by
EPA)
Exposure
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Radon Risk If You've Never
Smoked
If 1,000 people were exposed to this level over a
lifetime*, this number of people could get lung
cancer:
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20 pCi/L About 36 people
10 pCi/L About 18 people
8 pCi/L About 15 people
4 pCi/L About 7 people
2 pCi/L About 4 person
1.3 pCi/L About 2 people
0.4 pCi/L
35 times the risk of drowning
20 times the risk of dying in a fire
4 times the risk of dying in a fall
The risk of dying in a car crash
The risk of dying from poison
(Average indoor radon level)
(Average outdoor radon level)
Note: If you are a former smoker, your risk may be higher.
* Lifetime risk of lung cancer deaths from EPA Assessment of Risks from
Radon in Homes (EPA 402-R-03-003)
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Radon Risk If You Smoke
If 1,000 people were exposed to this level over a
lifetime*, this number of people could get lung
cancer:
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20 pCi/L
10 pCi/L
8 pCi/L
4 pCi/L
2 pCi/L
1.3 pCi/L
0.4 pCi/L
About
About
About
About
About
About
About
260 people 250 times the risk of drowning
150 people 200 times the risk of dying at home
120 people 30 times the risk of dying in a fall
62 people 5 times the risk of dying in a car crash
32 people 6 times the risk of dying from poison
20 people (Average indoor radon level)
3 people
(Average outdoor radon level)
Note: If you are a former smoker, your risk may be lower.
* Lifetime risk of lung cancer deaths from EPA Assessment of Risks from
Radon in Homes (EPA 402-R-03-003).
WRRTC © 2014
Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study
(Fields, RW, American Journal of Epidemiology, 151,
2000)
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Between 1993 and 1998, researchers studied 1,027
Iowan women, ages 40 to 84, who had lived in their
homes for the past 20 years or more–
 413 who were newly diagnosed with lung cancer
 614 "controls"
Women in both groups included
 smokers
 Nonsmokers
Women were studied because they historically have
spent more time in the home and typically have less
occupational exposures to substances that may cause
lung cancer.
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Iowa Radon Lung Cancer
Study
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Discovered an important link between residential
radon exposure and lung cancer.
As the radon exposure increases, lung
cancer rates also increase.
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For exposures that are roughly equivalent to 15
years spent at an average radon exposure
equal to the EPA’s action level of 4 pCi/L…
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A 50% increased risk of lung cancer was found.
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Lung Cancer Mechanism
Radon and RDPs
Are Breathed In,
Radon Is Exhaled
RDPs
Stick to
Lungs
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Squamus Cell Tumor
Tumor
Left
Bronchial
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Squamus cell tumor is
one kind of cancer
that can come from
radon and RDP
inhalation.
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Risk of Dying from Radon
Compared to Other Hazards
Source: EPA Citizen’s Guide, 2004
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How Do You Find Out if You Have
Radon in Your House?
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Every house has some radon in it.
You need to have the house tested for
radon in order to find out if the level in
your house is at, or above, the EPA
“action level” of 4 pCi/L
Do not rely on the radon test results of
your neighbors, radon can vary from
house to house.
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Who Can Test Your House?
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You can do a radon test yourself, or call a
professional testing company/home inspector.
You should insist that the analysis lab (if you
test yourself) or the professional tester/home
inspector is NRPP* or NRSB* certified.
Some States have their own certification and, in
these States, a State-certified tester should be
used.
* These are currently the two national certification bodies for radon
professionals
WRRTC © 2014
What Kind of Tests are There?
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For tests that you can do yourself, the
most common tests are canisters, vials or
envelopes filled with activated charcoal.
The charcoal does a great job of
adsorbing the radon out of the house.
It is returned to a laboratory for analysis
Typical test time is 48 hours, or so.
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Here is a Picture of Some Charcoal
Devices
Picture Source: J. Burkhart
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Some Professionals Use Ion
Chambers
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Picture Source: J. Burkhart
Radon comes in
through top when cap
is unscrewed.
Radon is analyzed by
removing a charged
plate (on bottom of
chamber) and
measuring with a volt
meter.
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Some Professionals Use Electronic
Monitors
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Monitors, especially high-quality ones, are
able to record the radon hourly.
The radon testing professional can
therefore see how the radon fluctuates in
time (total time in house is usually 48
hours).
The test is more costly than a charcoal
device.
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Some Examples of Electronic
Monitors
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Radon enters through
the holes seen on the
left-hand side of the
face of the monitor.
Prints out hourly
results or sends them
to a lap-top computer
Picture Source: J. Burkhart
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A Second Popular Monitor
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Monitor and printer
are shown.
Monitor also
measures humidity,
temperature, air
pressure and carbon
dioxide (depending
upon options).
Picture Source: J. Burkhart
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A Third Popular Monitor
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These are just a few
examples of
continuous monitors.
If you use a monitor,
take a picture of it
with your cell phone,
email to yourself and
insert it here.
Picture Source: J. Burkhart
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What Are the Test Protocols?
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Test on the first floor
if the test is not part
of a real estate
transaction
Test in the basement
if this test is part of a
real estate
transaction.
Source: EPA Citizen’s Guide, 2004
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Can I Live in My House During a
Test ?
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Yes, you can live normally, including
running the furnace/air conditioner and
going in and out of the house.
However, you must keep all doors and
windows closed for 12 hours before the
test begins and all during the 48 hours of
the test.
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Where Is the Test Placed in the
Room?
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Once a room is selected, the test should
be placed on a table where it will not be
disturbed.
Make sure that air can move freely around
the test device.
Don’t have any objects closer than 4”.
Don’t place test where a fan or heating or
air conditioning duct can blow on it
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The EPA Protocols Are Kind of
Complicated!
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Yes they are, but many thousands of people
have successfully tested their own homes.
If you test yourself, please read the directions
that come with your test kit.
The Citizen’s Guide can be downloaded from the
EPA.GOV web site* and contains more detailed
information than is in these slides.
*(Or, just google “radon citizen’s guide”)
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What Do I Do If the Radon in My
House is High?
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The EPA is very clear on this matter: If your
house was tested at 4 pCi/L, or higher, and
confirmed, the house should be fixed.
The formal name for fixing a house with a radon
problem is “mitigate”
Mitigation is normally more work than a typical
house owner would like to take on, therefore it
is recommended that professional mitigators be
contacted and asked to bid on the job.
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How is Mitigation Done?
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Discharge safely
Fan
Heavy PVC pipe
Sealant may be
required
Suction point (existing
sump may be used)
Source: EPA Citizen’s Guide, 2004
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This
picture
shows the
important
elements
of one
type of
mitigation,
sub-slab
suction.
What If My House Doesn’t Have a
Basement
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If the house is a slabon-grade, the suction
point is simply drilled
into the slab on the
main floor.
fan
Small pit dug out
under ground
Suction point through slab
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What If My House Has a Crawl
Space?
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The crawl space is first
laid out with a perforated,
corrugated drain tube
(flexible tube with holes
in it, also known as
ADS™).
The crawl space (and the
tube) is covered with a
special plastic sheeting
(4-mil, cross laminated).
A PVC riser and fan
completes the job.
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Can Radon Enter a New Home?
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Yes, radon entry does
not depend upon the
age of the house.
However, if radonresistant techniques
are properly
employed during the
construction of a
house, the radon can
be reduced.
Picture source: EPA Building Radon Out, April 2001
WRRTC © 2014
Details of Radon-Resistant
Construction
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1. Gas Permeable
Layer
2. Plastic Sheeting
3. Sealing and
Caulking
4. Vent Pipe
5. Junction Box (for a
fan, if needed)
Source: EPA Home Buyer’s and
Seller’s Guide, May 2005
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Summary
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Yes, radon is a problem!
However, radon is inexpensively tested.
And, if necessary, radon can be “fixed”
permanently
For more information, please contact:
Your name and logo here
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