BEIR VI Radon Report

The National Academy of Sciences estimates that radon causes 15,400–21,800 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States.

In 1998, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation VI (BEIR VI) Report, which is to date, the most extensive and thorough study of health effects attributed to radon exposure and its decay products. The following are key pieces of information from the BEIR VI Radon Report.

• The NAS estimates that radon causes 15,400–21,800 lung cancer deaths per year in the U.S.
• Elevated levels of radon have been discovered in homes in every state.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Surgeon General recommend testing homes for high levels of indoor radon.
• The average indoor radon level in U.S. homes is 1.3 picoCuries per liter of air (pCi/L).
• More than 1 million homes in the U.S. have radon levels above 8 pCi/L.
• More than 60,000 homes in the U.S. have radon levels above 20 pCi/L.
• Since 1988, more than 11 million homes have been tested; more than 300,000 homes have been corrected; and more than 1.3 million new homes have been built radon-resistant.
• The BEIR VI Report found that even very small exposures to radon can result in lung cancer. In fact, the NAS concluded that no evidence exists that shows a threshold of exposure below which radon levels are harmless.
• The BEIR VI Report concludes that many smokers will get lung cancer from exposure to radon, which exacerbates the effects of smoking.
• Committed to protecting the public’s health, the EPA has in place a voluntary program to locate homes with high levels of radon.
• There is no question that if you quit smoking, you will reduce your risk of lung cancer. But reducing radon exposure is another confirmed way to reduce lung cancer risk.

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