27 Dec 2017

Are Children at a Higher Risk from Radon

First and foremost, it’s crucial to know that radon can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or home state. This is why every home across the nation must be tested for radon; there’s no way to know if your home and your family are affected without testing.

When it comes to protecting your children, why risk exposing them to a radioactive gas when it can easily be detected and prevented? In fact, it is believed that, because their lungs are still developing and their respiratory rates are higher than those of adults, children are more susceptible to lung damage due to radon exposure.

children radon risk

What the Researchers Say about Children’s Radon Risk

A study conducted in 2016 by a University of Louisville School of Nursing researcher found that parents are not testing for radon even with children present in the home. It’s not only parents in the United States who aren’t testing for radon but those across the globe.

According to the Centers for Disease Control:
Many factors influence the risk of radon-related lung cancer due to radon exposure, including:

Age during exposure,
Duration of exposure,
Concentration of radon as a function of age and duration,
Cigarette smoking,
Time spent and concentrations in different portions of the home, in transportation routes, and in the office, (e.g., where and how long persons sleep, work, and recreate).

Due to lung shape and size differences, children have higher estimated radiation doses than do adults. Children also have breathing rates faster than those of adults.

Risk of lung cancer in children resulting from exposure to radon may be almost twice as high as the risk to adults exposed to the same amount of radon.

If children are also exposed to tobacco smoke, the risk of getting lung cancer increases at least 20 times.