Consequences of radon gas: a neighborhood affected by cancer

If in another era of world history it had been known that, in a small neighborhood, a large part of its citizens suffered from lung cancer, the conclusion would have been more related to superstition than to science. There would have been talk of curses or spirits. However, if today an entire street is affected by cases of malignant tumors, we can think that it is not about the beyond, but about what is already known as "the silent enemy," a poison that can install itself in our homes. And that the problem has nothing to do with mysticism, but rather are the consequences of radon gas.

This is precisely what is happening in a small Galician village known as Cruceiro de Roo. On the way to Finisterre, this locality was once a bustling urban center. Today, its population is a little over 300 people living there year-round. And the place has become famous for being the site where "the cancer street" is found.

On a stretch of the village where 29 houses are concentrated, up to 23 tumors have been diagnosed. It is in those 800 meters where most cancer cases are found in Cruceiro de Roo, but it is not exclusive to the street; if the radius is expanded, in the same village we find quite a few more cases.

Where does such an exceptional case come from? According to the residents of Cruceiro de Roo, the culprit is radon gas. A poison that is present in many Spanish homes but is undetectable. And, nevertheless, it is the second leading cause of lung cancer cases, according to the World Health Organization.

The radon gas has been largely unknown in our country, although Europe has been warning about the damage that this poison creates. In Cruceiro de Roo, it was the residents themselves who alerted that the high number of cancers must be due to this gas. Is there confirmation? We will know very soon. Since May, devices have been installed in the village to measure this poison to certify whether there is an effect.

The detectors take approximately three months to give results on the presence and concentration of radon gas in homes. However, the residents of this Galician village have no doubt that the problem must be this poison. Their population is within the radon gas map, it is a candidate for that. And most importantly, they are suffering the consequences of radon gas in their own lives. Why was nothing done earlier?

How to alleviate the consequences of radon gas in our homes

In Spain, the delay in the fight against radon gas is about five years. In 2013, the European Commission decided to require member states to measure radon in homes, public places, and workplaces in affected areas. In Spain, on the other hand, measures have not been implemented until there has been an obligation.

Since last February, Spain is to facilitate the implementation of measures to detect radon gas -such as free detectors-, but there are significant delays. That is why there are cases like that of Cruceiro de Roo, where the residents have had to be the ones to fight to be heard and report a problem that, for them, undoubtedly has its origin in the consequences of radon gas.

To certify its presence, we need to make use of gas detectors since radon is practically undetectable, and it is normal to worry when it is already too late. What can we do to fight against this evil in our homes?

First of all, we can check the radon map and certify that we are in an affected area. Normally, it is in houses where there is an effect, since radon gas is stored in the ground. If we believe we might be affected and do not yet have detectors, what we can do is:

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• Improve the ventilation of our home. Especially in the basement area. That is where the gas is stored.
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• We will need mechanical extraction systems through ventilation in the basement to extract radon in high concentration areas. They can be conventional air extractors.
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• Seal the leaks where gas may seep in. Cracks can be lethal for the passage of this poison.
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• Thoroughly seal the walls is also a great protective measure.
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rnNormally, one of the paths that radon gas finds to infiltrate our homes is the combination of an improvable airtightness -with walls, doors, and windows through which the gas seeps- along with poor air renewal. To achieve this, installing a mechanical ventilation system will extract this poison and avoid the consequences of radon gas in our lives. This is what, while awaiting final confirmation, the residents of Cruceiro de Roo are doing.