Post Content
Radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless radioactive gas. Radon is created when naturally occurring elements such as uranium and radium in rocks and soil break down during a process called radioactive decay. Once radon is emitted, it migrates upwards to the ground surface through pore spaces in the soil. Radon can enter homes through cracks, joints, cavities and gaps in building floors and walls. Radon gas can also dissolve in well water and become released into indoor air from running water, but groundwater is not thought to be a major contributing source of indoor radon.
In outdoor air, radon is diluted with other atmospheric gases and is present at very low concentrations. However, inside buildings and enclosed spaces radon can accumulate to higher concentrations. The concentration of radon gas is measured in picocuries per liter (pCi/L). A curie is an international unit of measurement of radioactivity, and a picocurie is one-trillionth of a curie.
Radon, Lung Cancer, and Smoking
Radon can damage lung tissue and can increase the risk of developing lung cancer over the long-term. In fact, radon is the second greatest cause of lung cancer in the U.S. The EPA estimates that over 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year are related to radon.
If you are a smoker, the potential health consequences of long-term exposure to radon are even greater. Smoking and radon exposure work together to increase the risk of developing lung cancer up to 10 times greater than the risk to people who have never smoked. Radon is the primary cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) recommends that radon mitigation systems be installed in homes that have radon levels of 4 pCi/L or higher. Mitigation technologies today can reduce indoor radon levels to 2 pCi/L or lower.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH)’s Bureau of Environmental Health (BEH) has a Radon Assessment Unit (RAU), within the Indoor Air Quality Program, that advises and assists residents of the Commonwealth with their radon questions. The RAU also assists realtors, business owners, and facility managers with their questions regarding radon in air or water. You can contact the RAU to learn more about radon or to get information about certified radon mitigation and measurement specialists. The RAU also provides radon testing services to schools upon request. The program can be reached at 1-800-RADON-95 (1-800-723-6695 – in Massachusetts only) as well as at (413) 586-7525 x 3185.
Editor’s Note: This post was adapted from materials provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Tags: Awareness, Department of Public Health, DPH, environmental, EPHT, health, portal, public, radon, tracking
Recent Posts
Keeping Our Food Supply Safe and Wholesome posted on Nov 18

The holiday season is upon us – a time of year when many of our celebrations take place around food. And whether it’s today or any other day, the last thing anyone wants to worry about is whether that food is safe. Thankfully, here in Massachusetts …Continue Reading Keeping Our Food Supply Safe and Wholesome
The Three Most Important Things to Remember About Stroke posted on Oct 29

A stroke can be life-changing event and can happen to anyone. Remembering how to prevent stroke and how to recognize signs of stroke is a meaningful way to honor World Stroke Day. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen to the brain …Continue Reading The Three Most Important Things to Remember About Stroke
Your Best Protection Against the Flu: A Flu Shot posted on Oct 8

This year, the first full week of October marks the start of Massachusetts’ flu surveillance monitoring and reporting for the 2019-2020 flu season. To monitor flu in the state, DPH uses a variety of disease surveillance methods including lab testing, voluntary reporting by health care …Continue Reading Your Best Protection Against the Flu: A Flu Shot
Not sure if any BLOG applies but:
If a member of a local Board of Health publicly releases hundreds of mortality statistics of residents (ie former) by specific name, address, cause of and age at death – was any federal or State statute (such as the HIPPA Privacy Act) violated ?
Thanks for your question – if at all possible, could you submit it by clicking on "Contact DPH" at www.mass.gov/dph? You'll find that link in the center column of our home page. That way it will be officially tracked in our system as a constituent inquiry and routed accordingly. We try to keep the comments section of our blog focused on the topic matter of each particular post. However your inquiry is important to us – so thanks again.