Radon Danger May Be Overrated, Study Finds

Americans are exposed to only about a third as much radon in their homes as monitoring kits indicate, and many people may have spent money needlessly to get rid of the gas, a study presented at a meeting here suggests.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that homeowners put radon monitors in their basements, where levels of the odorless gas are likely to be highest. The gas can cause lung cancer.

Now, Dr. Naomi H. Harley of New York University has performed the first study to see how much radon people--rather than basements--are exposed to. She found human exposure was about 30% of the radon levels found in the basements.