Radon In New Jersey Essay Research Paper

Radon In New Jersey Essay, Research Paper

RADON IN NEW JERSEY

From the beginning, life has evolved in the presence of natural background ionizing radiation. There are three principal types and sources of radiation that occur on earth. The first of which are cosmic rays, which impinge on the Earth from outer space. The second is from terrestrial radiation, which are released by the disintegration of radium, thorium, uranium, and other radioactive minerals in the Earth s crust. Finally, there is internal radiation, which are emitted by the disintegration of potassium-40, carbon-14, and other radioactive isotopes that are normally present within living cells.

There is an average total dose of radiation received from all three sources by a person residing at sea level, which is approximately .91 mSv per year1. However, a dose twice this size may be received by a person residing at a higher elevation where cosmic rays are more intense. A person living in a geographic region where the radium content of the soil is relatively high can also receive twice the dose of .91 mSv per year. In the latter form is what this paper is going to be concerned with. Radon a chemical element is a heavy, radioactive, noble gas. It is generated by the radioactive decay of radium. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas, seven and a half times heavier than air and more than one hundred times heavier that hydrogen.

Radon is rare in nature because its isotopes are all short-lived and because radium, its source, is a scarce element. The atmosphere contains traces of radon near the ground as a result of seepage from soil and rocks, all of which contain minute quantities of radium. Radium consequently, occurs as a natural decay product of uranium present in various types of rocks.

By the late 1980 s, naturally occurring radon gas had come to be recognized as a potentially serious health hazard. The gas, arising from soil and rocks, seeps through the foundations, basements, or piping of buildings and can accumulate in the air of houses that are poorly ventilated. Exposure to high concentrations of this gas over the course of many years can greatly increase the risk of developing lung cancer. Radon is believed to be the single most important cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the United States. Radon levels are highest in homes built over geological formations that contain uranium mineral deposits. Many homes in northern and central New Jersey are built on these types of formations.

Radon s health effects are primarily caused by alpha particle emissions of the radon decay products, polonium-218 and polonium-214. This radioactive disintegration in the air inside homes is of little concern because the emitted alpha particles are unable to penetrate the skin. There is not as good of protection in the lungs, and the alpha particles emitted inside the air passage in the lungs by some of the disintegrating decay products are sufficiently powerful to penetrate the epithelium and damage a layer of sensitive cells called basal epithelial cells. This damage can sometimes lead to lung cancer.

It is difficult to give precise information on the cancer risks from radon contamination in indoor air. It is apparent in studies of underground miners that high concentrations of radon in the air increase the chances of developing lung cancer.2 Exposure to large amounts of radon appears to increase the cancer risk. Quantification of the risk associated with indoor exposure to concentrations of radon that are lower than those found in the mine studies depends on what assumptions are made about the relationship between the dose of radiation received and the incident rate of cancer in those who receive the dose. Age and sex differences and other factors, especially smoking also influence the actual risk. A recent epidemiological study of household exposure risks appears to be reasonable. Estimates for radon deaths for the United States range between 5,000 and 20,000 deaths per year. This is about ten percent of the cancer deaths attributed to smoking.3

On the basis of risk assessments, as well as consideration of the technological feasibility of reducing indoor radon levels, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that remedial action be taken to lower elevated indoor radon levels to an annual average level of below 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/l) of air. Lifetime exposure at this level could result in one to five cases of lung cancer in every one hundred people exposed, clearly a significant health risk.

Elevated levels of indoor radon were originally discovered in homes situated on the Reading Prong, a large geological feature spanning much of northern and central New Jersey. There is a potential major impact on the health of several millions of New Jersey residents exposed to radon. The problem is much greater than originally expected. Lowest floor radon test results exceeding 4 pCi/l were found in all parts of the state, as far south as Vineland, in Cumberland County, and as far north as Alpine, along the Palisades. In six counties; Hunterdon, Sussex, Warren, Morris, Somerset, and Mercer, the average radon values exceeded 4 pCi/l. In all but Atlantic County, at least one sample exceeded this value.

It is assumed that the distribution of radon concentrations across the state would tend to follow radium distribution as determined b