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Showing posts from December, 2008

Radon and Lung Cancer - The Connection

Radon and Lung Cancer – The Connection Everyone, even the heaviest of smokers, knows that cigarettes can cause lung cancer. But not many people know that there’s a substance called radon that’s the second-highest contributor to the number of lung cancer deaths. Radon, for those of you in the dark, is a radioactive gas that’s released from the natural uranium present in rocks, water and the soil. The connection between lung cancer and radon was first discovered when large numbers of workers in uranium mines died of the disease. And for non-smokers who are surprised to find themselves diagnosed with lung cancer, you don’t have to look further than radon for the culprit. Some homes are more exposed to radon than others because of their proximity to soil that’s rich in uranium. Apartments that are at the basement level and ground and first floors, and houses that are tightly insulated are prone to have higher levels of radiation from radon because they may be built on soil that contains a