[Radon and domestic exposure].

Radon is a noble gas derived from the decay of radium, which itself is a decay product of uranium. The decay products of radon can collect electrostatically on dust particles in the air and, if these particles are inhaled and attach to bronchial epithelium, produce a high local radiation dose. Alpha particles can induce DNA double-strand breaks and the development of cancer. A causal relation between lung cancer and radon exposure and its progeny has been demonstrated in epidemiological studies of miners. Radon exposure became a public health issue almost 15 years ago. Most radon exposure occurs indoors, predominantly in the home. There is however, a wide range of radon concentration values in different countries. The highest level occurs in areas with granite and permeable soils. The risk for smoking, the leading cause of lung cancer, is far greater than for radon, the second leading cause. The estimates obtained from case-control studies of indoor radon are very contradictory. Scientific knowledge of effects of low levels of exposure to radon and the role of cigarette smoking, as a combined factor, must be studied. Smoking and radon probably interact in a multiplicative fashion.