New Report From President's Cancer Panel Includes Updates on Radon Exposure and More

The President’s cancer panel has just released their latest annual report to the president. It highlights environmental causes for cancer in our food, water, and air, and calls for action to reduce exposures. Nuclear medicine has been rapidly increasing in its contribution to the public’s annual radiation exposure. However, the top contributor to the general public’s annual radiation exposure is still from radioactive radon gas and it’s decay products.

The report advises periodic testing by homeowners for radon and urges home buyers to conduct a radon test for any home they are considering purchasing. The report also makes recommendations for policy changes, such as recommending that the EPA consider lowering the current action level for radon in the home, requiring all schools, day care centers and workplaces to test for radon, changing building codes to require radon reduction features in new construction, just to name a few. There is also a section that highlights what individuals can do.

So, do you think the EPA should lower the action level? How do you feel about the possibilty of changing building codes or requiring radon testing in some public buildings? This certainly is an interesting report. I hope everyone will take some time to read it and then take action to reduce your exposure to these harmful environmental carcinogens.

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Direct link to cancer panel report: http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/pcp.htm
NY Times Op Ed piece on the topic: New Alarm Bells About Chemicals and Cancer