Health risks

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the WHO and the Istituto per la Ricerca sul Cancro deem Radon to be a carcinogen, classifying it within the same group as cigarette smoke and benzene (IARC 1988). Indoor Radon exposure is one of the leading causes of death due to lung cancer worldwide: most deaths due to lung cancer occur to people subject to Radon concentration levels which are below alert levels.

On a yearly basis, 21.000 deaths due to lung cancer are rated by US EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) as being connected with “residential” Radon exposure, as compared to 160.000 deaths caused by tobacco smoke (US EPA 2003). These values clearly point out that tens of thousands of deaths are connected with indoor or “residential” Radon.