High radon areas and lung cancer prevalence in Ireland

Exposure to radon gas is thought to be the second most important cause of lung cancer worldwide after smoking. This naturally-occurring radioactive gas can seep into houses from beneath the ground or from particular building materials. Ireland has relatively high indoor radon concentrations, estimated to be the eighth highest level among OECD countries. This research examines data on a large sample of people aged 50+ in Ireland to see whether living in areas with greater risk of radon exposure is associated with higher odds of a lung cancer diagnosis. It takes into account other risk factors such as smoking and age in order to isolate the possible effect of radon.