RADON:

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RADON

• Whats New?

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Readily Available Resources

• www.radonnews.org
• www.epa/.gov/radon
• www.aarst.org

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Whats New About Radon?

• June 2005 NAS Panel Affirms Low Radiation a
  Cancer Risk
• June 2005 WHO launches project to minimize radon
  risks
• March 2005 Pooling of North American Residential
  Radon Studies
• January 2005 U.S. Surgeon General releases
  National Health Advisory on Radon

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More Whats New About Radon

• December 2004 Pooling of European Residential
  Radon Studies
• June 2004 HUD implements Radon and Mold Notice
  and Release Agreement
• January 2004 HUD implements new For Your
  Protection Get a Home Inspection Notice
• October 2003 NAS and EPA announce revised radon
  risk assessment

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NAS Affirms Low Radiation a Cancer Risk (June 29,
2005)

• New and more extensive data have strengthened the
  certainty of low-level radiation risks
• Research shows there is no threshold of exposure
  below which levels of ionizing radiation can be
  demonstrated to be harmless

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WHO Press Release (June 2005)

• Launching International Radon Project
• Initial phase for 3 years (2005-2007)
• Increase political public awareness
• Promote sound policy options
• Reduce radons health impact
• Create global radon database

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Combined Analysis of North American Case Control
Studies

• March 2005 Conclusions
• Direct evidence of an association between
  residential radon lung cancer risk
• Consistent with findings from miner data and
  animal studies
• Greatly increased confidence that current risk
  estimates are not the result of unknown latent
  factors or study specific biases

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Combined Analysis of European Case Control Studies

• Dec. 2004 Conclusions
• Collectively demonstrate appreciable hazards from
  residential radon
• Residential radon exposure responsible for 2 of
  ALL European cancer deaths
• Risk of lung cancer increases 8.4 per 100 Bq/m3
  (2.7 pCi/l) increase in radon concentration.

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Surgeon Generals Jan. 2005 National Health
Advisory

• Issued by the U.S. Dept. of Health Human
  Services Dr. Richard Carmona
• SG Workshop on Healthy Indoor Environment
  concluded Americans spend 85-95 of their time
  indoors
• Based on national averages, we can expect that
  many homes owned or financed by federal govt.
  programs would have potentially elevated
  radonOFEE Edward Pinero

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Radon Gas Mold Notice Release Agreement (June
2004)

• As per Federal Housing Commissioner -To be
  provided to purchasers of all HUD foreclosures
• Purchasers are encouraged to obtain the services
  of a qualified experienced professional to
  conduct inspections tests regarding radon
  mold prior to closing.
• Signing the Release holds HUD and the Agent
  harmless

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New For Your Protection Get A Home Inspection
(Jan. 2004)

• For all FHA mortgagees
• Accompanying letter states,The revised form
  incorporates radon testing as one of the
  components of a home inspection.
• Notice clearly states that EPA Surgeon General
  recommend all houses be tested for radon
• Purchasers must sign whether they choose to have
  or NOT to have a home inspection.
• Potential ramifications

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Indoor Radon Disclosure

• The U.S. EPA and Surgeon General recommend ALL
  homebuyers have an indoor radon test conducted.
  Radon is a Class-A carcinogen and the 2nd leading
  cause of lung cancer estimated to cause 21,000
  deaths in the U.S. annually.

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I have fully read and understand the disclosure
and

• I choose to have ACME Home Inspections conduct an
  indoor radon test of the home according to EPA
  Protocol for an additional fee of XX. (Buyers
  Signature)
• Against the strong recommendation of EPA, ACME
  Home Inspections and my agent, I have elected not
  to test the home for the presence of indoor radon
  gas and assume all liability for elevated radon
  discovered after the transaction closes. (Buyers
  Signature)

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EPA Updated Risk AssessmentDeaths Per 1000
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Revised EPA Publications

• New Citizens Guide to Radon became available in
  June 2004
• New Home Buyers Sellers Guide to Radon became
  available in June 2005 (HOT OFF THE PRESS)
• Order copies at www.epa.gov/radon/pubs

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Radon, Smoking Lung Cancer

• 6,579 LC deaths from smoking per 100,000 people
  in 70 years.
• Assuming a population of 280,000,000, this
  represents 160,000 LC deaths/yr.
• 21,000 LC deaths per year from radon.
• 87 of LC deaths are related to smoking.
• Between 1-5 and 1-6 LCs occur in non-smokers
• 12 of all LC deaths in the United States are
  linked to radon exposure!

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New EPA Study on ASD Benefits

• Mitigators have 20 years of anecdotal experience
  that Active Soil Depressurization frequently
  reduces indoor humidity
• EPA currently studying to quantify humidity
  reduction
• Since ASD reverses airflow between house soil,
  other soil gases like methane, pesticides,
  chemicals in addition to soil moisture are
  prevented from entering

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News of Past Cover-Ups We Should Spread
Like..Fertilizer

• How Radon is Responsible for Most Smoking-Related
  Lung Cancer

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Tobacco Radioactivity

• In 1990, then U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett
  Koop declared on national TV that radioactivity
  in cigarettes accounts for at least 90 of all
  smoking related cancers.
• Former CDC Director Ravenholt has stated
  Americans receive more radiation from tobacco
  smoke than from any other source.

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Why is Tobacco Radioactive?

• SUPER PHOSPHATE FERTILIZER
• Tobacco companies claim it makes for more
  flavorful tobacco
• Calcium Phosphate fertilizer is extremely rich in
  RADIUM 226 (Radons mama)
• Tobacco plants absorb radon gas and RDPs from the
  fertilizer. Airborne RDPs attach to sticky
  trichomes on the leaves.

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No Coincidence

• Between 1938-1960, the level of radioactive
  Po-210 in American tobacco tripled commensurate
  with the increased used of Super Phosphate
  Fertilizers.
• U.S. lung cancer rates increased 10 fold between
  1938-1956.
• Indias farmers do not use phosphate fertilizers
  so Po-210 levels are 15 times less in Indian
  tobacco.

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Lung Cancer Statistics
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Cover the FieldsCover-Up the Danger

• Leaked internal memos from tobacco and chemical
  companies prove they have known about the danger
  for nearly 40 years.
• In 1977, Phillip Morris confirmed that
  super-phosphate fertilizer was the source of
  radioactive polonium.
• By 1980, Phillip Morris had figured out how to
  remove polonium from tobacco, but has never
  implemented it. ()

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It Only Gets Deeper

• When studies were 1st released in the 1970s,
  magazines did not print because cigarette
  companies threatened to pull advertising.
• Well financed tobacco chemical companies (eg.
  Mobil Mining and Minerals) continue to lobby
  legislators.
• Proposed 1984 law to require listing of tobacco
  additives met severe opposition

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I dont wanna hear about it!
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Readily Available Resources

• www.aarst.org
• www.radonnews.org
• www.epa/.gov/radon