First Radon Cause of Death Classification in North Dakota

After moving into a new home in Casselton, North Dakota, Judith Antoine began suffering from poor health. Shortly after receiving a chest X-ray, Judith was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, scarring of the lungs. With only a small piece of her lungs working, Judith passed away in November of 2017.

Having given up smoking nearly 30 years prior to her death, her children wanted to know how and why she developed pulmonary fibrosis. Judith’s son Andrew suspected a form of environmental exposure and decided to perform a radon test on the home. When the results of the test were 234 pCi/l, 58 times the recommended indoor level, Andrew “…about fell over” .

Judith’s family is convinced that chronic exposure to radon killed their mother. Dr. Brent Hella, Judiths’s physician, agrees and even went as far as to list her cause of death as pulmonary fibrosis as a consequence of “radon toxicity”. It is believed this is the first classification of radon toxicity on a death certificate in the state of North Dakota.<

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