Radon information.

Posted by PVR on February 12, 2005, 12:36 pm

We have a Radon problem. A house up the street has 90 picoCuries (owners
emit a slight blue glow at night 'g'). The next in line has 40, the next is
12 and then there is ours, not yet tested.

I have been trying to get info off the 'Net regarding Radon exposures. So
far the best I have obtained refers to a lifetime of exposure (whatever that
means). For example, a lifetime exposure of 10 indicates that 18 people out
of a thousand "could" come down with lung cancer. This is twenty times the
probability that we could die in a house fire.

As indicated this is all based on a lifetime's exposure. What I need to know
is the risk of exposure of a much shorter time, say, two years.

Does anyone know of a data source(s) where I can search for the info I want?
Also is there another NG I should consult?

Peter

Posted by on February 12, 2005, 10:34 am

PVR wrote:

> We have a Radon problem. A house up the street has 90 picoCuries

(owners

> emit a slight blue glow at night 'g'). The next in line has 40, the

next is

> 12 and then there is ours, not yet tested.
> I have been trying to get info off the 'Net regarding Radon

exposures. So

> far the best I have obtained refers to a lifetime of exposure

(whatever that

> means). For example, a lifetime exposure of 10 indicates that 18

people out

> of a thousand "could" come down with lung cancer. This is twenty

times the

> probability that we could die in a house fire.
> As indicated this is all based on a lifetime's exposure. What I need

to know

> is the risk of exposure of a much shorter time, say, two years.
> Does anyone know of a data source(s) where I can search for the info

I want?

> Also is there another NG I should consult?
> Peter

There is very little information as to the actual effects of radon on
the human body. In fact there are many claims of therapeutic benefits
for respiratory and arthritic ailments. People flock to so called
Radon caves. These underground caves have many times the considered
dangerous limits.

http://www.radonmine.com/resource.html

Acute (short term) exposures typically are not the problem, whereas the
low dose 7 days a week, 365 days a year is what can lead to accumulated
health problems.

Posted by Duane Bozarth on February 12, 2005, 1:08 pm

PVR wrote:

>
> We have a Radon problem. A house up the street has 90 picoCuries (owners
> emit a slight blue glow at night 'g'). The next in line has 40, the next is
> 12 and then there is ours, not yet tested.

On that basis, one could project something on the order of 4 pCi(/l)...
:)
Peculiar that there's such a gradient--must be some underlying reason
for that assuming the houses in a subdivision are roughly same vintage
and construction.

> I have been trying to get info off the 'Net regarding Radon exposures. So
> far the best I have obtained refers to a lifetime of exposure (whatever that
> means). For example, a lifetime exposure of 10 indicates that 18 people out
> of a thousand "could" come down with lung cancer. This is twenty times the
> probability that we could die in a house fire.
>
> As indicated this is all based on a lifetime's exposure. What I need to know
> is the risk of exposure of a much shorter time, say, two years.
>
> Does anyone know of a data source(s) where I can search for the info I want?
> Also is there another NG I should consult?

There's a link from the EPA site

http://www.epa.gov/radon/risk_assessment.html

that has a secondary link to a revised study that is supposed to have a
risk model to calculate a numerical estimate of the risk per unit
exposure [lung cancer deaths per working level month (WLM)].

www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/assessment/402-r-03-003.pdf

I'd note the use of "calculate" above...the uncertainty range on that
same page for the estimated number of annual mortalities from Ra-related
lung cancers varies from a minimum of roughly 40% to a maximum of 200%
-- enough to indicate the data are simply not more than ballpark
guesses.

That there's some additional risk is reasonably clear, but to think it's
possible to get an actual value that's more than that is just wishful
thinking....

In other words, from my viewpoint, get the test, if it's <really> high

consider some abatement perhaps, but it is highly unlikely it will be a
serious health problem. Of course, statistics and probablilities being

what the are, you <could> be the next case tomorrow whether you do

something or not.

Posted by Bob on February 12, 2005, 8:59 pm

I think this radon thing is a lot of BS and just a money making scheme for a
few to get rich.
All of a sudden a scare tactic is sent out to everyone. Smoking is the
cancer cause not the so-called radon in homes. I would like to see at least
one case caused by radon in homes.

> PVR wrote:

> > We have a Radon problem. A house up the street has 90 picoCuries (owners
> > emit a slight blue glow at night 'g'). The next in line has 40, the next

> > 12 and then there is ours, not yet tested.

> On that basis, one could project something on the order of 4 pCi(/l)...
> :)
> Peculiar that there's such a gradient--must be some underlying reason
> for that assuming the houses in a subdivision are roughly same vintage
> and construction.

> > I have been trying to get info off the 'Net regarding Radon exposures.

> > far the best I have obtained refers to a lifetime of exposure (whatever

that

> > means). For example, a lifetime exposure of 10 indicates that 18 people

out

> > of a thousand "could" come down with lung cancer. This is twenty times

the

> > probability that we could die in a house fire.
> > As indicated this is all based on a lifetime's exposure. What I need to

know

> > is the risk of exposure of a much shorter time, say, two years.
> > Does anyone know of a data source(s) where I can search for the info I

want?

> > Also is there another NG I should consult?

> There's a link from the EPA site
> http://www.epa.gov/radon/risk_assessment.html
> that has a secondary link to a revised study that is supposed to have a
> risk model to calculate a numerical estimate of the risk per unit
> exposure [lung cancer deaths per working level month (WLM)].
> www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/assessment/402-r-03-003.pdf
> I'd note the use of "calculate" above...the uncertainty range on that
> same page for the estimated number of annual mortalities from Ra-related
> lung cancers varies from a minimum of roughly 40% to a maximum of 200%
> -- enough to indicate the data are simply not more than ballpark
> guesses.
> That there's some additional risk is reasonably clear, but to think it's
> possible to get an actual value that's more than that is just wishful
> thinking....
> In other words, from my viewpoint, get the test, if it's <really> high
> consider some abatement perhaps, but it is highly unlikely it will be a
> serious health problem. Of course, statistics and probablilities being
> what the are, you <could> be the next case tomorrow whether you do
> something or not.

Posted by Duane Bozarth on February 12, 2005, 3:51 pm

Bob wrote:

>
> I think this radon thing is a lot of BS and just a money making scheme for a
> few to get rich.
> All of a sudden a scare tactic is sent out to everyone. Smoking is the
> cancer cause not the so-called radon in homes. I would like to see at least
> one case caused by radon in homes.

.....

Certainly smoking is a far greater risk...if you'll follow the links I
posted you'll see a table which lists the estimated differences from
smoking, general population and the Ra-related mortalities from lung
cancer. There is an increase from Ra above the general population but
nowhere near that of the smoking population.

In general, I don't disagree too much, however--I think, like many other
things, it's easy for it to be blown out of proportion and certainly
there are those who use it, like virtually anything else, as an
opportunity.

And, unfortunately, there's no way to pinpoint <precisely> the cause of

any specific malignancy in any given individual--it's all
epidemiological evidence--as I pointed out in my previous response.

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