Handbook of Radon.
24. Radon and older people - no cause for concern?
This Section was prepared as a consequence of the author having had to advise several distraught retired people in Devon & Cornwall. They were, variously, afraid for their grandchildren to visit, living with windows open in wintertime and fearful that they would never be able to sell their home. Such anxieties about radon levels found in the UK are absurd, but can be distressing.
The effects of radon on people of various ages are not known with any confidence, and will probably remain uncertain for decades. The reasons include that risk from a typical radon exposure is so much smaller than the risk from smoking.
Probably over 90% of lung cancer deaths are due to smoking and some are suspected to be due to industrial and transport pollution. Against this background, it is difficult to be certain about cause and effect for radon in domestic environments or to determine whether domestic radon exposure later in life ever leads to lung or other cancers.
However, it is highly likely that the effect of any radon exposure only occurs between 5 and 50 years subsequently. Thus, it may not be sensible even to encourage people who are 80 or 90 years old to monitor radon levels in their homes, simply because any further exposure at their time of life is almost certain never to affect them.
There is some evidence that latency periods may decrease as age at exposure increases: thus an assumption of 10 or 15 years rather than 50 may be appropriate for older people. Nevertheless, there is considerable scope for undue stress and anxiety from expensive and disruptive building works, especially if commissioned by 'high-pressure' salesmen. Disruption of a home environment is a known stress factor for elderly people especially.
Some medical doctors have privately expressed the view that more people may die prematurely through radon-induced stress than could ever be saved from lung cancer by treating high-radon houses. However, the fact that some doctors in 'high-radon villages' say they cannot remember seeing a non-smoking patient with lung cancer does not invalidate the calculated risk factors, but it does serve to set a local perspective on the problem.
Unfortunately, a logical approach to radon and elderly people has not been part of advice in the UK. In contrast, some Canadian booklets include encouragement to consider relevant personal factors in evaluating personal risk.
"Does anyone smoke in your home? How much time does any member of the family spend at home? How long will you live in your present home?"
These are all entirely reasonable questions in helping people consider radon in the context of their own personal circumstances.
KEY FACTS:
It is inappropriate for elderly people to be frightened into having expensive or disruptive building work undertaken on their house just because it contains a moderate level of radon. The latency period for radon is probably between 10 and 50 years but unknown (and probably unknowable) for each individual. Any exposure to radon during the last few years of one's life is most unlikely to have any effect.
Nothing can be done to lessen risks already accumulated over 50 or 70 years of living with high levels of radon. These may amount to a few percentage points, but there is little point in becoming worried about possible future events that are beyond any control.
Advice to elderly people, especially if living alone, should take into account their personal circumstances.