Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals Indoor Air Quality in Tribal Communities

1. Institute for Tribal Environmental ProfessionalsIndoor Air Quality in Tribal Communities Mansel Nelson, ITEP Leading Causes of Lung Cancer

2. First Leading Cause of Lung Cancer • Smoking is leading cause of lung cancer  • Causes an estimated 160,000 deaths in the U.S. every year (American Cancer Society, 2004  • Rate among women is rising  • Now exceeds breast cancer www.nau.edu/eeop

3. Second Leading Cause of Lung Cancer Radon is number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers  Second leading cause of lung cancer  Responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year  About 2,900 among people who have never smoked www.nau.edu/eeop

4. Third Leading Cause of Lung Cancer Secondhand smoke is third leading cause of lung cancer Estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths every year  About 1,000 never smoked; about 2,000 former smokers www.nau.edu/eeop

5. Another Leading Cause of Cancer • Asbestos exposure • Highest risk • Mining, milling, manufacturing of asbestos • Use asbestos and its products www.nau.edu/eeop

6. Synergistic Connections(Radon and Smoking) Radon and smoking are synergistic. Smokers: 62 of 1,000 people will die of lung cancer Never-smokers: 7.3 of 1,000 for never-smokers Never-smoker at 1.3 pCi/L (indoor average): 2 in 1,000 chance of dying from lung cancer Smoker at 1.3 pCi/L (indoor average): 20 in 1,000 chance of dying from lung cancer www.nau.edu/eeop

7. Synergistic Connections(Asbestos and Smoking) Exposure to asbestos increases risk of developing lung disease Risk made worse by smoking www.nau.edu/eeop

8. Smoking

9. Smoking Harms nearly every bodily organ Causing many diseases, degrades health Estimated 438,000 deaths (nearly 1 of 5 deaths) each year in U.S. More than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined www.nau.edu/eeop

10. Smoking (cont.) • Cancer is second leading cause of death • First disease directly linked to smoking • Risk of dying from lung cancer • 23x higher among men • 13x higher among women • Smoking causes cancers of bladder, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx (voice box), esophagus, cervix, kidney, lung, pancreas, and stomach, and acute myeloid leukemia www.nau.edu/eeop

11. Smoking (cont.) Smokers 2–4 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease Smoking doubles a person’s risk for stroke Smokers more than 10x as likely than nonsmokers to develop peripheral vascular disease www.nau.edu/eeop

12. Smoking (cont.) Causes tenfold increase in risk of dying from chronic obstructive lung disease Many adverse reproductive and early childhood effects, including increased risk for infertility, preterm delivery, stillbirth, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) Postmenopausal women smokers have lower bone density www.nau.edu/eeop

13. Radon

14. Radon • Radon in air is ubiquitous • Radon: odorless, colorless, radioactive gas derived from decay of uranium in soil • Found in outdoor air and indoor air of buildings  • Form of radiation that damages lung tissue • # 1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers • Estimated 21,000 deaths year, rising • Smoking increases your risk 4 times! • Elevated indoor levels found in every state www.nau.edu/eeop

15. Where does radon come from? • Caused by breakdown of Uranium in earth’s crust. Present in almost all rock, soil, and water • Amount of radon in soil depends on soil chemistry, which varies greatly from one house to next • Moves up through ground into atmosphere, where it can potentially enter your home through cracks/holes in foundation

16. Radon “Daughters” www.nau.edu/eeop

17. 4 day Radon-222 a,g 3 min Polonium-218 a,g 27 min Lead-214 b,g 20 min Bismuth-214 b,g 0.2 ms Polonium-214 a,g Lead-210 22 yrs b,g Bismuth-210 5 day b,g Polonium-210 138 day a,g Lead-206 Stable Radon Decay Products Po-218 and Po-214 Deliver majority of radiation dose to lungs

18. Radon in Buildings • From soil • Lower parts of building at greatest risk • “Stack effect” • Buildings above the ground do not need to be tested www.nau.edu/eeop

19. Radon (cont.) Red alert - radon level above 4 pCi/L Yellow alert - radon levels between 2 and 4 pCi/L Average radon indoor air about 1.3 pCi/L www.nau.edu/eeop

20. Radon Testing www.nau.edu/eeop

21. Second-Hand SmokeEnvironmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)

22. Surgeon General Report Second-Hand Smoke Single greatest avoidable cause of disease and death www.nau.edu/eeop

23. Surgeon General Report (cont.) Millions of Americans, children and adults, still exposed to second-hand smoke Second-hand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke www.nau.edu/eeop

24. Surgeon General Report (cont.) Children exposed to secondhand smoke at increased risk for • Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) • Acute respiratory infections • Ear problems • More severe asthma www.nau.edu/eeop

25. Smoke Free Pledge http://www.epa.gov/smokefree/

26. Surgeon General Report (cont.) • Exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects • Cardiovascular system and causes • Coronary heart disease • Lung cancer www.nau.edu/eeop

27. Surgeon General Report (cont.) The scientific evidence indicates there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke www.nau.edu/eeop

28. Surgeon General Report (cont.) • Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers • Following actions DO Not protect nonsmokers • Separating smokers from nonsmokers • Cleaning the air • Ventilating buildings www.nau.edu/eeop

29. Asbestos

30. What does it look like? fibrous, friable (able to crumble) and fluffy, almost like a muddy brown or white cotton wool Asbestos

31. Asbestos – Health Impacts Lung Cancer Asbestosis – serious, progressive, long-term non-cancer disease of the lungs Mesothelioma – rare form of cancer found in thin lining (membrane) of lungs

32. Where is Asbestos Found? Acoustic insulator Thermal insulation Fire proofing Other building materials Brake pads / drum Brake linings Asbestos-cement www.nau.edu/eeop

33. Isn’t Asbestos Banned? Asbestos is NOT a banned substance. In 1989, EPA banned all NEW uses of asbestos Uses established before 1989 are still allowed www.nau.edu/eeop

34. Health Risk Intact, undisturbed asbestos-containing materials generally do not pose a health risk www.nau.edu/eeop

35. Schools Perform inspections and re-inspection every three years of asbestos-containing material Asbestos management plan Notification to parent, teacher, and employee organizations Provide custodial staff with asbestos-awareness training www.nau.edu/eeop

36. Work Place U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued revised regulations covering asbestos exposure. In construction, there are special regulated-area requirements for asbestos removal, renovation, and demolition operations. www.nau.edu/eeop

37. Home Materials containing asbestos that are not disturbed or deteriorated do not, in general, pose a health risk and can be left alone. If you are concerned, contact EPA or Health Department - test your home - locate a company that is trained to remove or contain the fibers. www.nau.edu/eeop

38. Synergism of Asbestos and Smoking Cigarette smoke and asbestos together significantly increase your chances of getting lung cancer. If you have been exposed to asbestos you should stop smoking. This may be the most important action that you can take to improve your health and decrease your risk of cancer. www.nau.edu/eeop

39. Tobacco Resources http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/ http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/ www.cancer.org www.lungusa.org www.nci.nih.gov/ www.nau.edu/eeop

40. Radon Resources http://www.epa.gov/radon/healthrisks.html www.neha-nrpp.org/ www.nrsb.org http://www.epa.gov/radon/zonemap/alaska.htm http://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications/freepubs/RAD-01250.pdf www.nau.edu/eeop

41. Asbestos References http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/ http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp61.html http://ehs.okstate.edu/training/OSHASBES.HTM http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/asbestos_in_schools.html www.nau.edu/eeop

42. Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) Mansel A. Nelson, Senior Program Coordinator Environmental Education Outreach Program (EEOP) Northern Arizona University (NAU) http://www.nau.edu/eeop/ mansel.nelson@nau.edu Voice 928 523 1275 FAX 928 523 1280 PO Box 5768, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 www.nau.edu/eeop