It’s a radioactive gas.
Matthew Bozigar, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at Oregon State University, grew up in Portland, Oregon, where he noticed high cancer rates, particularly among young people, in areas with elevated radon levels. His curiosity led him to investigate whether environmental factors, like radon, might be linked to these cancer cases. This inquiry resulted in a major study that examined more than 700 counties across 14 U.S. states, uncovering a potential link between childhood leukemia and radon exposure.
Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, and odorless gas produced by the decay of uranium found in certain types of rock and soil. It has long been recognized as a significant risk factor for lung cancer, but Bozigar’s study has now raised concerns about its connection to childhood leukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer that is the most common form of cancer among children in the U.S., with about 3,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
The study used statistical modeling to analyze radon levels and cancer rates, finding a correlation between radon exposure and childhood leukemia, even in areas where radon concentrations were below the levels deemed hazardous by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA recommends taking action to reduce radon exposure when concentrations reach 148 becquerels per cubic meter, but the study found links to leukemia at levels as low as half of that.
Although the study only identifies a statistical association and not a direct cause, Bozigar emphasized the need for further research to confirm these findings. The study, one of the largest of its kind in the U.S., covered counties in states like Washington, California, Michigan, and New Jersey but did not include Oregon, where Bozigar had first noticed the high cancer rates among his friends and family.
Bozigar hopes that future research will build on these findings and lead to better understanding of the health risks posed by radon. He also believes that this knowledge could help shape public health decisions worldwide, particularly in areas with significant radon exposure, expanding awareness beyond its well-known risks related to lung cancer.
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