While Realtors uniformly recommend that prospective home purchasers obtain a radon test, few fully understand what radon is and its serious implications. We are well aware that smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. Few however, are aware that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and is ranked highest from “natural causes”.
What is Radon?
Radon is a tasteless, odorless and invisible gas which gives off radiation produced by the decay of naturally occurring Uranium and Thorium. Radon is everywhere in our environment. It is a proven carcinogen. Lung cancer has been traced to radon in more than 21,000 deaths per annum in the United States. While being exposed to radon for a smoker is extremely dangerous, several thousand lung cancer deaths occur annually in individuals who have been exposed to high levels of radon and who have never smoked. A 2010 survey by the National Cancer Institute indicated that radon related lung cancer is a much more serious cause of death in the United States annually than liver cancer, esophageal cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma, bone cancer, etc.
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