Risks and Risk Prevention

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Since 1987, radon has been subject to scrutiny by the European Union, and recommendations on exposure to radon gas in housing and service buildings have been published by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), considering its risk associated of cancer incidence.
Radon is recognized as an inducing agent for tumors, and since 1988 it has been singled out by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking.

The chances of suffering from lung cancer from radon depend essentially on the concentration of radon inside the house; of the time spent in the dwelling; if you are or have been a smoker.

Several epidemiological studies conducted in European and North American countries have shown that prolonged exposure to radon, which accumulates inside homes and buildings in general, is responsible for a significant number of lung cancer cases.

The risks associated with radon are mainly due to its direct descendants of short half-lives, which are inhaled with breathable air and may constitute a danger to the tissues of the human respiratory system. Radon-derived alpha particles and their direct, highly radioactive and ionizing offspring can be trapped in the walls of the respiratory tree and irradiate sensitive cells.

Still according to the WHO, given the results obtained in a European study, the dose-effect relationship is approximately linear, which means that the risk of contracting lung cancer increases proportionally to exposure to this agent. Since there is no known threshold of radon concentration, below which the risk of alpha particles no longer induces cancer problems.

One way to predict the risk associated with radionuclide-induced lung cancer is to understand its relationship to the dose of indoor radon exposure.

It is important to draw up a national map of radon concentrations and to evaluate dosimetrically homes belonging to respiratory cancer patients.

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