According to the EPA, Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer for non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in smokers. Your risk for lung cancer increases with higher levels of radon and longer periods of exposure. It is estimated that 21,000 people die each year in the United States from lung cancer due to radon exposure. For smokers, the risk of getting lung cancer from radon exposure is higher than for non-smokers. Reducing smoking and radon exposure greatly reduces the risk of lung cancer.
Any radon level poses some health risks. While it is not possible to reduce radon to zero, the best approach is to lower the radon level as much as possible.
A radon test is the only way to know how much radon is in your home. Radon can be reduced with a mitigation system.