Is Radon Dangerous?

YES.

Health Effects:

• Lung cancer is the only known health effect of radon.
• Radon causes lung cancer in both smokers and non-smokers.  
• According to EPA estimates, radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
• For smokers, the risk of lung cancer due to radon is greater than for non-smokers because of the synergistic effects of radon and smoking.
• Radon is responsible for 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year.

Greatest Exposure:

• Our greatest exposure to radon is in our homes because radon accumulates indoors and we spend most of our time at home.

Preventable?

• Yes, the negative health effects of radon are entirely preventable. We can test and fix our homes so that radon does not accumulate in our homes.  The EPA recommends that homes be mitigated if radon levels are found to be greater than 4 pCi/L.
• It's never too late to test and fix your home!

image and information from http://www.epa.gov/radon/healthrisks.html