Radon Health Risk Frequency

Residential epidemiologic case-control studies examining the relationship between contemporary 222Rn gas concentrations and lung cancer have been performed in Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A meta-analysis of eight studies using weighted linear regression found a summary excessive risk of 14% at an average indoor 222Rn gas concentration of 4 pCi/L. The excess risk at 4 pCi/L in recent studies in Germany and the United Kingdom was in close agreement with risk estimates obtained from the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis risk estimate was also consistent with the risk estimate extrapolated from miner studies. Additional residential case-control studies currently in progress in the United States (Missouri and Iowa) and Europe incorporate improved estimates of retrospective exposure to 222Rn progeny. In addition, the pooling of data from published and ongoing case-control studies is currently in progress.

Radon Occurrence and Health Risk Frequently Asked Questions by R. William Field, PHD (June 1999)