Don't die of apathy

摘要

It can seep through floors and is radioactive. But you can't see it, feel it or smell it - and it seems most people don't like to think about radon either. Debate has raged for years among the experts over just how risky the gas really is. Some believe the nuclear industry has exaggerated the dangers to deflect concerns about radiation from non-natural sources. Some even think small doses may be good for us. Yet every major nuclear agency rates radon as a leading cause of death from ionising radiation. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon causes 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths in the US a year. In the UK, the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) blames radon for over 2000 lung cancers a year.