Thread by @thetimes

Americans are flocking to defunct uranium mines in Montana for what many believe is a fountain of youth gushing with radioactive gas – in direct defiance of health warnings from experts
thetimes.co.uk/article/uraniu…

The Environmental Protection Agency says the gas is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the US, responsible for 21,000 deaths each year

The World Health Organisation also warns against exposure

Although doctors use radiation as a cancer treatment, the capacity for low-dose exposure to treat other conditions is the subject of fierce debate

“In clinical therapy, we know exactly what the dose is, we know exactly where it’s going” says Brian Marples, an oncology professor

Sitting in a radon-filled room deep inside a mine and having targeted radiation treatment at hospital, he said, are “chalk and cheese”

The gas forms when radioactive elements in mountain bedrock start to decay

Montana, in the Rocky Mountains, is the national hub

Punters pay $7 to $15 for a day in the mine. Outside one, a banner announces, “Fountain of Youth: FEEL YOUNG AGAIN.”

Chang Kim, one of the operators, said his mission was to help those with chronic medical conditions by putting stress on the body, which he claims jolts the immune system and reduces inflammation

People who want full immersion in the mine's radon-laced waters can sit in a tub as part of unregulated radiation therapy

This is deemed potentially dangerous by some radiation experts

No level of radon exposure is risk-free, health authorities say, though everyone encounters small quantities in their lives

Radon gas is usually removed from basements as a health hazard
thetimes.co.uk/article/uraniu…