Radon
Toxins · Radioactive gas
Critical priority
What this is
Every home in the US should be tested at least once — regional variation is enormous (parts of Iowa, PA, Colorado have wide areas above 4 pCi/L). Winter testing more reliable (houses sealed). Mitigation is straightforward and highly effective. Smokers in radon-exposed homes face multiplicative (not additive) risk.
Mechanism
Colorless, odorless alpha-emitting gas from uranium decay in soil/rock; seeps into basements and lower floors; 2nd leading cause of lung cancer after smoking (especially in never-smokers); huge regional variation
Dose & route
Home test kits $15-30; mitigation (sub-slab depressurization) ~$800-2000
Citations
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15613366/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23943584/
- https://www.epa.gov/radon
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This is an independent synthesis of published research by a non-clinician. Scores are opinions supported by citations, not prescriptions. See the full disclaimer and methodology for how this score was produced and what it does and doesn't mean.