In discussion with:
Dr. Aaron Goodarzi is an internationally renowned expert on Radon exposure. He is an associate professor at the University of Calgary, the Canada Research Chair for Radiation Exposure Disease and the scientific director at Evict Radon, among other things.
The Age of Radon
From the first breath ever taken, our fragile lungs are exposed to many elements that damage them but none so much as radon.
Radon gas decays into solid radioactive particles that can get trapped in our lungs when we inhale them. As they decay further, these particles release small bursts of energy, which can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer.
Children, our future, are the most susceptible to radon and the ones we think least about when it comes to lung cancer. They are growing and changing, and, as Dr. Goodarzi points out, they breath faster, their bodies and organs are developing, and especially in infants and young children their cells are still dividing. Due to their size, they have a higher per weight exposure making them more sensitive to radiation and the genetic mutations caused by radon exposure. This greater sensitivity increases the risks of exposure.
Exposure to Radon over a long period of time can lead to lung cancer. We protect our families, do what we can to keep them safe, like wearing a helmet when riding a bike, a seatbelt, but waiting unseen is Radon.
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In most people’s minds lung cancer is “just” a disease of the older, smoking individual. The truth is long term exposure can have an impact on our children and their future lives. In our discussion Dr. Goodarzi talked about the people in their 20’s and 30’s with Stage IV lung cancer who have never “smoked” (note smoking is part of a long list of triggers for lung cancer) and it is in direct relation to Radon exposure at home and in schools, day homes, and other places our children frequent in their formative years.
I asked Dr. Goodarzi what the biggest challenge when dealing with Radon and children.
Adults are the ones who children depend on for a safe and healthy living environment. Parents, caregivers, and guardians can ensure the homes our children live in are safe by testing for radon and managing the levels if they are above the minimum standards.All buildings our children use need to be tested. Testing guidelines, however, remaininconsistent. As an example, Evict Radon worked with Alberta legislators to pass the “Alberta Radon Awareness and Testing act in 2017/18. This passed unanimously and received (in Alberta) royal assent. Even though it passed the Act still remains un-proclaimed and the law could simply disappear.
What are we doing for our children and our future. Testing for and managing radon levels is a simple straightforward way to help keep our children safe, both now and into their adulthood.
Do nothing and it could mean our child may not get to live the life they were supposed to. It is so easy to fix. Each child who turns into an adult is a star shining in our universe. What tomorrows are we letting die?
August, 2022
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