New Radon Study Raises Concerns Beyond Lung Cancer
I believe every homeowner should have their home tested for radon. Whether you are buying a home or have lived in the same place for decades, knowing your radon level gives you information you can use to help protect your family.
Radon’s connection to lung cancer has been established for years. Now, research led by Oregon State University suggests its health effects may extend beyond the lungs.
For homeowners, this is another reason to take radon testing seriously.
What did the new study find?
The study, published in Neuroepidemiology, followed 159,391 postmenopausal women for an average of approximately 18 years. Researchers identified 451 malignant brain and central nervous system cancer cases and found an association between higher estimated residential radon exposure and higher cancer risk.
The researchers also reported increasing risk patterns at low radon concentrations in their continuous statistical models.
These findings deserve attention, but they need context. Researchers estimated exposure using geographic data and models rather than testing each participant’s home. The study found an association; it does not establish that radon caused these cancers, and its results should not automatically be applied to men, children, or younger women.
Even with those limitations, the research adds to the reasons to understand the air inside our homes. Read Oregon State University’s study summary and abstract.
A result below 4.0 does not mean there is no risk
This is a point I want homeowners to understand: 4.0 pCi/L is an action level, not a guarantee of safety below that number.
Picocuries per liter, abbreviated pCi/L, is the unit used to report radon concentrations in air.
The EPA recommends fixing homes with radon levels at or above 4 pCi/L. It also recommends considering mitigation when levels are between 2 and 4 pCi/L because there is no known safe level of radon exposure.
Oregon State’s new findings add to the concern about lower exposures. They do not establish a new safe cutoff or replace EPA guidance.
If your result is 3.5 pCi/L, for example, it deserves a conversation about reducing exposure and whether additional testing would help clarify your home’s average level.
Read the EPA’s explanation of its radon action level.
The established lung cancer risk is already reason enough to test
We do not need to wait for further brain cancer research to take radon seriously.
According to the EPA, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer overall and the leading cause among people who do not smoke. You cannot see or smell it, so the absence of an obvious problem does not tell you whether your home has elevated levels.
Learn more about radon’s established health risks.
What happens if testing finds elevated radon?
An elevated result gives you a problem you can address. A qualified radon mitigation professional can determine an appropriate method for reducing levels in your home.
Mitigation systems can substantially reduce radon concentrations. Testing after installation helps verify that the system is working.
Testing also needs to be interpreted in context. A short-term measurement provides information about the test period; a long-term test gives a better picture of the year-round average. Depending on your results and circumstances, follow-up testing may be recommended.
A lower result can offer reassurance about the conditions measured, while an elevated result gives you a reason to take action.
Read the EPA’s Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction.
Schedule radon testing in the Tri-Cities
My recommendation is straightforward: if you do not know your home’s radon level, have it tested.
At Professional Home Inspections, I offer radon testing with a home inspection or as a standalone service for existing homeowners in Kingsport, Johnson City, Bristol, and surrounding service areas.
You do not have to be buying or selling a home to find out what you and your family are breathing.
Contact Professional Home Inspections to schedule standalone radon testing, or request it when booking your home inspection. You can also schedule online at: https://prohitn.com/schedule-your-home-inspection/
Knowing your radon level is the first step toward reducing an exposure you otherwise might never know was there.
