Illinois Statutes Chapter 420. Nuclear Safety § 52/5. Findings

§ 5. Findings. Radon is a radioactive element that is part of the radioactive decay chain of naturally occurring uranium in soil. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and the number one risk in homes according to the Harvard School of Public Health, Center for Risk Analysis. The 2008-2009 Annual Report from the President's Cancer Panel stated: “Comparative risk assessments by the Environmental Protection Agency and its Science Advisory Board have consistently ranked radon among the top 4 environmental risks to the public.”. The World Health Organization's Handbook on Radon Key Messages include: “There is no known threshold concentration below which radon exposure presents no risk. The majority of radon-induced lung cancers are caused by low and moderate radon concentrations rather than by high radon concentrations, because in general less people are exposed to high indoor radon concentrations.”. The Surgeon General of the United States urged Americans to test their homes to find out how much radon they might be breathing. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than 20,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer each year.