Map reveals US hotspots with high levels of radioactive gas linked to cancer... is your hometown in danger?
Share:
A new map has revealed that up to 25 percent of Americans live in areas where radon levels are considered unsafe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Radon is a radioactive gas that has no color, smell or taste. It is present in both indoor and outdoor air everywhere, but there is no known safe level of exposure to this noxious substance.
![[In all, the study found that 9.7million Americans live in areas with radon levels above 148 Bq/m³ during the winter]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/20/94301815-14305279-In_all_the_study_found_that_9_7million_Americans_live_in_areas_w-a-30_1737403660626.jpg)
It comes from the natural decay of uranium, a radioactive element that is found in nearly all soils. Studies show radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US after smoking, leading to about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year, according to the EPA.
![[During the summer, just 0.12million Americans live in areas with radon concentrations above the action level]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/20/94308385-14305279-During_the_summer_just_0_12million_Americans_live_in_areas_with_-a-29_1737403660625.jpg)
Now, researchers have identified and mapped areas throughout the US where radon levels are over the EPA's 'action level' of 148 Becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m³), or the level at which the agency requires regulatory action. The average outdoor radon concentration is around 15 Bq/m³, or one-tenth that action level.
![[Lung cancer is an extremely deadly form of cancer, as it is responsible for about one in five of all cancer deaths in the US, according to the ACS (STOCK)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/20/18/94312921-14305279-image-a-43_1737396989656.jpg)
The Great Plains region appears to have the highest levels, especially around the border between Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. Northern Kansas, central Colorado, central Ohio and central Pennsylvania were also identified as radon hot-spots. A new map has revealed that up to 25 percent of Americans live in areas where radon levels are considered unsafe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Locations in red were found to have radon levels up to or above the action level of 148 Bq/m³.
