October 6, 2004 -
A study by researchers at the University of North Dakota links exposure to radon with neurological disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The study found that about one third of inhaled radon gas passes from the lungs and accumulates in the brain, bone marrow, fat cells and nervous system. The researchers found the presence of heavy metal particles, which are a by-product of decaying radon gas, called "radioactive radon daughters," in the brains of non-smokers with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease was 10 times greater than those with no previous evidence of a neurological disorders. Of interest was that the radioactivity impacts the brain proteins of Alzheimer's victims and the brain lipids of Parkinson's victims.
According to the EPA some 21,000 people die annually from lung cancer caused by
exposure to radon. Scientists have become more concerned lately that exposure
may also lead to other illnesses.
-- Asbestos & Lead Report,
September 1, 2004
Ionizing radiation can initiate cancer by damaging DNA within individual cells and promote cancer development by destroying tumor suppressor genes.
The graphical
representation of the double helix structure of DNA is from Molecular Biology
of the Cell,
3rd edition, Alberts et al., 1994.
Radon is one of the major causes of lung cancer and is by far the major source of ionizing radiation for most people.
Radon is an odorless inert gas that originates from the uranium found in most soils and rocks. It seeps into buildings through holes and pores in floors and walls that contact the soil.
A picoCurie is 0.000,000,000,001 (one-trillionth) of a Curie, an international measurement unit of radioactivity. One pCi/L means that in one liter of air there will be 2.2 radioactive disintegrations each minute. For example, at 4 pCi/L there will be approximately 12,672 radioactive disintegrations in one liter of air, during a 24-hour period.
The following chart is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decay_chain :
a = days, d = days, h = hours, s = seconds
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Click on image to see How Radon Enters Homes |
To block entry of radon and water vapor from the soil, the EPA recommends keeping air pressure in ground contact rooms slightly higher than the pressure of gasses in the soil. For further information, see: Ventilation and Indoor Air Pressure.
Water vapor from the soil can also flow into buildings. Water vapor from the soil that enters through cracks and pores in ground-contact floors and walls can substantially increase air conditioning costs and can make some basements damp enough to enable growth of mold, mildew and microbes.
