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How does radon affect health?

Drawing of radon inside the lung Radon and health

Inhaling radon and its radioactive decay products polonium, bismuth, and lead over a longer time increases the risk of lung cancer. Radon is one of the most important causes of lung cancer after smoking.

Current knowledge about the effects of radon on human health is based largely on epidemiological studies on miners carried out since the 1960s. Since the 1980s, the miner studies have been complemented by case-control studies on the risk of lung cancer from radon in homes in Europe, North America, and China.

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