How does radon cause lung cancer?
Radon is a radioactive gas. When we breathe it in, we are exposing our lung tissue to ionizing radiation. This radiation causes damage to the DNA in our lung tissue and can lead to lung cancer.
Radon causes lung cancer.
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, leading to the deaths of over 3,200 Canadians each year. That includes Canadians who didn’t smoke, yet who died of lung cancer because of ongoing exposure to high radon levels.
1 in 10 smokers with no exposure to radon will die of lung cancer:
But, for smokers, living in a home with high radon levels increases their chance of being diagnosed with lung cancer even further.when these smokers are exposed to a lifetime average of 800 Bq/m³ of radon.
1 in 3 smokers exposed to high radon will die of lung cancer:
Radon puts non-smokers at risk from lung cancer, and it is their number one cause of lung cancer.
1 in 20 non-smokers exposed to a lifetime of high radon will die of lung cancer.
How does radon compare to other health concerns?
Radon is a health concern that Canadian homeowners need to take seriously. Just as deaths from carbon monoxide, house fires, and car accidents can be reduced, so can deaths from radon exposure be reduced. All homeowners need to test their home to know if they are at risk, and reduce their radon levels if they are too high.
2. https://www.injuryresearch.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Carbon-Monoxide-Oct-2017-Final-UFV.pdf, pg 17
