Although smoking remains the root cause behind lung cancer, but it is also rising among non-smokers. The other causes include exposure to radon, second-hand smoke, explosives and more. Radon is a colorless and odorless gas and is the second-leading cause of lung cancer.
How Radon Accumulates Indoors
It is naturally produced in the ground and releases in the air but in indoor spaces, it accumulates quickly. This is especially where buildings have poor ventilation and in cold places. Sometimes, building material also contributes to indoor radon accumulation. It is often found that non-smokers and occasional smokers often do not qualify for lung cancer screening but they are also at its risk. Radon poses a serious health risk when it gets accumulated in high levels and is in enclosed areas like homes.
New Research from the University of Calgary
A team of scientists from the University of Calgary in Canada a new and simple way to detect a person’s exposure to radon. This will help doctors in targeting those who are often left out from lung cancer screening but are at risk of this disease. According to the team, toenails can reveal long-term exposure to environmental toxins including radon. In this study led by biochemist Aaron Goodarzi and physicist Michael Wieser, they showed that toenail clippings are reliable long-term radon exposure indicators.
Toenails as Exposure Indicators
“We’ve learned that our toenails hold long-term information about our exposure to radioactive toxicants in our environment, such as radon gas. They are one of our body’s archives of past exposure,” said Aaron Goodarzi. “After you inhale radon, it quite quickly transforms into a specific type of radioactive lead. Your body treats radioactive lead from radon like it does all lead and stores it in slow-shedding tissues such as the skin, hair and nails,” he added.
Significance of the Study
Radon exposure is not easy for patients to self-report and they are often unaware of this. Such studies will help to timely identify those who are at risk of lung cancer.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only.
Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Facebook or X today to stay informed and never miss an update!