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While radon gas is known to cause lung cancer, an 18-year, 700-plus county study from Oregon State University found a link between exposure to radon gas and childhood leukemia rates.
The study, a collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, Harvard University, Imperial College London and the Environmental Protection Agency, found the link even at radon concentrations lower than the Environmental Protection Agency's mitigation threshold. Counties in Utah were included in the study.
About 3,000 children receive a leukemia diagnosis per year in the U.S. There hasn't been a study on risk factors for cancer among children and the role the environment plays. Lead epidemiologist Matthew Bozigar from Oregon State University wanted to see if radon exposure could be one of the risk factors for childhood leukemia.
We are working on many different radon studies, and we are continuing to find harmful effects not limited to the lungs in adults."
–Matthew Bozigar, Oregon State University epidemiologist
"As an epidemiologist, I started considering possible environmental causes and connected with awesome collaborators who provided important data and other resources to enable innovative new analyses," Bozigar explained to Science Daily.
Study results
The study found that children who were exposed to a radon concentration of 2.0 pCi/L or higher had an 8 percent higher risk of leukemia for both males and females and a 12 percent higher risk for females.
To put that in perspective, the average indoor radon concentration in Utah is 4.5 pCi/L, two and a half times higher than the study's concentration threshold.
Because radon is odorless and colorless, the only way to detect it is to test for it.
The American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, the U.S. Surgeon General, the Environmental Protection Agency and many others encourage every homeowner to test regularly (typically every two years). UtahRadon.org is offering one free test kit for each Utah household.
More studies to come
While the study shows a statistically significant link between radon exposure and childhood leukemia, Bozigar said it's only a start.
"Our study design only allows us to identify statistical associations and to raise hypotheses, so studies that can better determine whether radon exposure causes childhood leukemia are needed."
Looking forward, Bozigar said, "We are working on many different radon studies, and we are continuing to find harmful effects not limited to the lungs in adults. We will have more to share in the coming months and years as our studies are published."
What is radon?
Radon is a radioactive gas that can't be seen, smelled, or tasted.
It is created when uranium in the ground decays and Utah has high levels of uranium around the state. One in three Utah homes has dangerous radon levels — and those numbers may be undercounted due to infrequent testing.
The second leading cause of lung cancer
Radon causes 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year — and thousands more diagnoses.
Because radon goes undetected by our senses and because lung cancer symptoms are often initially mild, most people do not get diagnosed until the disease has significantly progressed.
What you can do to protect your loved ones
Radon-induced lung cancer can almost entirely be avoided if Utahns are proactive in testing for radon in their homes. Leading health organizations recommend testing for radon every two years.
UtahRadon.org makes testing your home easy and provides one free test for every Utah home. The test kit includes shipping, the test, lab fees, and the analysis. There is no cost to test your home.
