Younger North Americans are exposed to more radon gas due to occupancy biases within the residential built environment

Justin A Simms,Weston R Jacques,Markus E Nielsen,Linda E Carlson,Joshua M Taron,Dustin D Pearson,Natasha L Cholowsky,Aaron A Goodarzi,Cheryl E Peters,Jesse L Irvine

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-86096-3

Justin A Simms, Weston R Jacques + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86096-3

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Abstract

Residential buildings can concentrate radioactive radon gas, exposing occupants to particle radiation that increases lung cancer risk. This has worsened over time in North America, with newer residences containing greater radon. Using data from 18,971 Canadian households, we calculated annual particle radiation dose rates due to long term residential radon exposure, and examined this as a function of occupant demographics. The current particle radiation dose rate to lungs from residential radon in Canada is 4.08 mSv/y from 108.2 Bq/m3, with 23.4% receiving 100–2655 mSv doses that are known to elevate human cancer risk. Notably, residences built in the twenty-first century are occupied by significantly younger people experiencing greater radiation dose rates from radon (mean age of 46 at 5.01 mSv/y), relative to older groups more likely to occupy twentieth century-built properties (mean age of 53 at 3.45–4.22 mSv/y). Newer, higher radon-containing properties are also more likely to have minors, pregnant women and an overall higher number of occupants living there full time. As younger age-of-exposure to radon equates to greater lifetime lung cancer risk, these data reveal a worst case scenario of exposure bias. This is of concern as, if it continues, it forecasts serious future increases in radon-induced lung cancer in younger people.

Highlights

Residential buildings can concentrate radioactive radon gas, exposing occupants to particle radiation that increases lung cancer risk
20th-21st–century buildings can capture, contain and concentrate radon to unnatural and increasingly hazardous levels, creating a human-made radiation issue within our built environment. This is worsening in twenty-first century-built North American residential properties, which contain substantially greater radon gas levels relative to those constructed during the twentieth century for not yet entirely clear reasons relating to evolving build practices[12,13]
This work finds that the doses and dose rates of particle radiation that North Americans are receiving from residential radon are within the ranges verified to increase cancer risk in humans and animal models

Summary

Introduction

Residential buildings can concentrate radioactive radon gas, exposing occupants to particle radiation that increases lung cancer risk This has worsened over time in North America, with newer residences containing greater radon. 20th-21st–century buildings can capture, contain and concentrate radon to unnatural and increasingly hazardous levels, creating a human-made radiation issue within our built environment This is worsening in twenty-first century-built North American residential properties, which contain substantially greater radon gas levels relative to those constructed during the twentieth century (and earlier) for not yet entirely clear reasons relating to evolving build practices[12,13]. Our study objective was to define mSv/y lung radiation dose exposures attributable to radon inhalation from the Canadian residential environment, and examine this as a function of building construction year and occupant ages

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