Chemistry Blog

Radon is killing at a rate of 21,100 Americans a year

I was a bit surprised at the number myself. The figure is reported in the latest issue of the Journal of Chemical Education, by Charles H. Atwood in the article Radon in Homes: Recent Developments. What was also interesting is that there is no safe amount of radon exposure. Meaning, once some radon decays in your lungs you will be at greater risk of lung cancer. We kind of like to think, “Hey, some chemicals are toxic sure, but a little exposure can’t really hurt us?” Well, Radon is not one of those chemicals. Since, terrorists killed 3000 Americans in a single day, you would think the hazards associated with Radon would get more publicity since it kills more Americans annually. But hell, if smoking which kills 160,000 Americans annually falls between the cracks surely radon would too. Attached is a figure taken from the above mentioned paper detailing the areas of the country with the highest risk of Radon.

Mitch