Nationwide radon atlas accurately predicts lung cancer risk in Northern Ireland—supports expanded screening.

Nationwide radon atlas accurately predicts lung cancer risk in Northern Ireland—supports expanded screening.

This population-based case-control study from Northern Ireland is the first UK study to link a nationwide indicative radon atlas with lung cancer risk. 1,687 lung cancer cases (2006, 2014) were compared to 8,094 controls, with radon exposure classified by an atlas categorizing 1 km² areas.

People in the highest radon exposure zones (Atlas Class 6) had more than twice the lung cancer risk (adjusted OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.25–3.92) compared to other areas, even after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, deprivation, and air pollution (PM2.5).

This supports the utility of area-based radon atlases for identifying high-risk populations and could inform targeting of lung cancer screening programs.

Key Findings

• High-radon atlas zones associated with OR 2.24 for lung cancer after adjusting for smoking and PM2.5
• First UK study to link indicative radon atlas to lung cancer risk
• 1,687 lung cancer cases vs. 8,094 controls analyzed
• Association held after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, deprivation, and PM2.5
• Results support radon atlas utility for population-level lung cancer risk identification

Implications

Radon atlases could be used to prioritize areas for lung cancer screening programs and radon mitigation initiatives. Northern Ireland is designing lung cancer screening programs, and this data could directly inform geographic targeting.

Caveats

Ecological exposure classification (atlas-based) may misclassify individuals; abstract-only. Radon atlas reflects predicted population exposures, not measured individual exposures. Retrospective case-control design. Northern Ireland-specific results may not generalize to other regions.

Source: Environmental geochemistry and health — 2026-04-10