Radon in homes and childhood leukemia

The presence of radon, even at low levels, has been linked, in a recent study, to an increased risk of childhood leukemia.

Radon, a natural gas, is a product of the radioactive decay of uranium, present in certain rocks and soils. After escaping from the soil, radon itself decays and emits radioactive particles that can enter the body and accumulate in many tissues, where they can damage or destroy the DNA of cells, which can cause cancer.

Odorless, tasteless and colorless, radon gas quickly dilutes in the open air, becoming harmless. But indoors or in areas with poor air exchange, it can concentrate to dangerous levels and is recognized as a major risk factor for lung cancer.

Radon, which is measured with small passive detectors and removed by passive or active ventilation in basements and crawl spaces, has not been linked to other types of cancer, according to the World Health Organization. But in a statistical modeling study carried out over 18 years in 727 counties spread across 14 states in the United States, Matthew Bozigar’s team at Oregon State University in the United States has discovered a connection between childhood leukemia and radon, even in concentrations that were not previously considered so dangerous.

Leukemia, the most common cancer in children, affects the blood and bone marrow. About 3,000 new cases of childhood leukemia (defined in the study and by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) as affecting patients up to 19 years of age) are diagnosed each year in the United States. The annual incidence rate is 4.8 cases per 100,000 children.

There are kits to perform a test that indicates the level of radon in a house or other building. (Image: US National Cancer Institute)

Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with leukemia than girls, but new research suggests that radon increases the chance of leukemia in both sexes.

This is the largest study of its kind conducted in the United States, but, as its authors warn, more research is needed to confirm the findings beyond the statistical relationship.

The study is titled “Domestic radon exposure and childhood cancer risk by site and sex in 727 counties in the United States, 2001–2018.” And it has been published in the academic journal Science of The Total Environment. (Fountain: NCYT by Amazings)