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Rome, October 26 (AdnKronos Health) – Radon exposure accounts for 10% of lung cancers with 3200 cases each year in Italy. This is what appeared on the occasion of the national conference "The geological risk of radon of the Earth, an invisible danger for the health: how many know it?", Organized by the National Council of geologists, with the headquarters of the CNR from Rome. Radon is a natural radioactive noble gas, colorless, tasteless and odorless. It is considered the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.
Lung cancer, says Nicola Rotolo, a surgeon in the Department of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Insubria, "is the leading cause of death from neoplasia in humans: estimates show an incidence of this disease in Italy about 40 000 new cases each year (11% of all cancer diagnoses in the population) In recent years – continues the doctor – there has been an increase in the number of cases even among women who smoke, it can be deduced how, in the course of life cancer on the lung is very high: about 35 000 deaths occur in Italy each year, the survival at 5 years of carriers of this disease is 13%.
According to Dr. Rotolo, the most important risk factor "is smoking and the second, proven by many large-scale scientific studies, is exposure to radon (internal factor) which affects 10% of cases of Epidemiological studies on the lungs confirm that radon in homes increases the risk of lung cancer, an estimated increase of between 3% and 14% (relative to the average radon concentration at the place of exposure) " .
In addition, Rotolo adds, "it has been observed that the risk of lung cancer in radon-exposed individuals increases exponentially in smokers: it is estimated that radon-induced lung cancer mortality in Italy is estimated to be high. Approximately 5000 (3500-5000) out of 35,000 lung cancer deaths One of the important weapons currently in the hands of health workers (surgeons and oncologists) is the early diagnosis that aims to diagnose the neoplasm in an asymptomatic phase and the treatments , surgical in the early stages, allow a 5-year survival of more than 80%. "
What are the health risks caused by radon? Radon, explains Alessandro Miani, president of the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine, "is a radioactive gas that binds to particles present in indoor environments and which, thanks to this, is deposited in the bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli If inhaled, its half-life begins to disintegrate by emitting radiation, the most well-known alpha, which can interact with the cellular DNA of the surrounding cells and modify it, leading to the tumor.In case of exposure to radon, the lung tumor has an incidence in Italy, 10% of all lung tumors, with about 3200 cases per year ".
According to what is read in the document produced by the GNC Environment Committee, the problem of radon "must be attributed to the field of geological hazards because the local geology, the interaction between the building and the site and the use of particular natural building materials are the most relevant elements to badess the influence of radon on indoor air quality in homes and buildings. To date, the problem of pollution radon in Italy has been managed by two professionals: health, epidemiological and physical aspects of the technical aspect related to measurement operations ".
In order to prevent or reduce the exposure of the population to radon, geologists play a vital role in mapping gas concentrations and provide all regions of Italy with a plan for radon radionuclide monitoring. . In particular, explains Vincenzo Giovine, vice-president and coordinator of the commission of the environment of the National Council of Geologists, "a geological study carried out at the territorial level based on the lithological and stratigraphic distribution of the ground, makes it possible to define the zones the most radon concentrates, it is possible to proceed to a planning of the useful interventions to mitigate the harmful effects of this gas of the surface distribution and the concentrations ".
At the macroscopic level, Giovine emphasizes, "urban expansion can be directed to areas with lower concentration and, therefore, less risk, while at the precise level of dwellings or individual buildings, it is possible, after appropriate measures, to provide information enabling the most appropriate systems to reduce and minimize the danger of radon In Italy, given the lack of situation in terms of the extension of territorial studies, it is necessary to carry out a complete cartography of the national territory in order to complete the knowledge framework, then to work in a targeted way, to remedy the problem ".
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