Lung Cancer and Radon Gas

Jefferson County has a significantly higher number of deaths due to lung cancer than the US average, exceeding the national rate by 21%. We are ranked 5th in WV in the percentage of people who smoke. Additionally, Jefferson County has the highest levels of indoor radon in West Virginia. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. This clearly indicates the public health need for addressing radon and smoking in Jefferson County in order to reduce the incidence of lung cancer.

The Jefferson County Board of Health believes that the best way to address the smoking issue is through a positive, educational approach particularly aimed towards young people. Action focused on our youth to prevent them from starting to smoke is universally accepted as the most significant contribution public health can make in reducing lung cancer. West Virginia ranks No. 1 in teen smoking. The other cause of lung cancer, radon, is also something that can be addressed effectively through public education. Smoking and exposure to radon gas have a synergistic effect, increasing your risk for lung cancer.

Since 1972, lung cancer rates in men have risen by 15%. Lung cancer rates in women have risen an astounding 147%. It is the leading cause of cancer death in women.

More About Radon

Radon-222 is a naturally occurring colorless, odorless, radioactive gas produced by the breakdown or decay of Uranium-238 in soil and rock. Radon decays into solid elements called radon progeny including several that emit alpha particles. When inhaled radon progeny reach the lungs, the alpha particles they emit can damage cells within the airways and thereby increase lung cancer risk.

Air pressure inside your home is usually lower than pressure in the soil around your home's foundation. Because of this difference in pressure, your house acts like a vacuum, drawing radon through foundation cracks and other openings. Once inside the house, it is trapped there particularly in the winter when homes are sealed for energy efficiency. Therefore radon tests should be performed in the winter months if practical to do so. Mobile homes which are not on permanent foundations do not need to be tested for radon.

If you have a home in Jefferson or Berkeley County’s and would like it tested for radon, then e-mail us at RadonDoctor@Comcast.net , please provide your name and mailing address and phone number where you can be reached during the day, or you may request a radon test by calling 1-877-381-6925 between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Someone will need to be available between 9:00AM and 4:00PM to allow entry, unless the home is on a lock box (manual or electronic). An electronic radon monitor will be left at the lowest livable level of your home for 2-3 days. Results will be available the same day the monitor is picked up

The action level for radon is 4.0 pCi/L. Data from the WV Bureau of Public Health, Office of Environmental Health Services indicates the following percentages of homes in selected counties which have radon levels equal to or exceeding 4.0 pCi/L.

 

Berkeley 63.7%                                 Hampshire 46.0%                               Hardy 30.0%

Grant 24.2%                                        Jefferson 68.1%                                Mineral 52.2%

Morgan 61.4%                                    Pendleton 42.9%

 

 

Radon Risk Evaluation Chart

 

TABLE 12
Radon Risk Evaluation Chart
pCi/liter	WL	Estimated number of lung cancer deaths due to radon exposure (out of 1000)	Compararable exposure levels	Comparable risk
200	1	440-770	1000 times outdoor level	More than 60 times nonsmoker risk 4 pack-a-day smoker
100	0.5	270-630	100 times average indoor level	20,000 chest x-ray per yr
40	0.2	120-380	-	2 pack-a-day smoker
20	0.1	60-210	100 times average outdoor level	1 pack-a-day smoker
10	0.05	30-120	10 times average indoor level	5 times nonsmoker risk
4	0.02	13-50	-	200 chest x-rays per year
2	0.01	7-30	10 times average outdoor level	Nonsmoker risk of dying from lung cancer
1	0.005	3-13	Average indoor level	20 chest x-rays per yr
0.2	0.001	1-3	Average outdoor level