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Prevent Lung Cancer: Test Your Home for Radon
Janelle Sorensen
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Most of us know better than to expose our children to cigarette smoke, but are you preventing exposure to the second leading cause of lung cancer? Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas that is released in rock, soil, and water from the natural decay of uranium. It seeps into buildings, building up in your indoor air. You can’t see, smell, or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has designated January as National Radon Action Month, a time when state radon programs and other partners conduct special radon outreach activities and events across the country.
1. Test your home - EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon. Testing is easy and inexpensive. Learn more about testing your home, including how to obtain an easy-to-use test kit.
2. Attend a National Radon Action Month event in your area - Look for radon events in your community. Contact your state radon program for more information about local radon activities.
3. Spread the word
• Tell your family and friends about the health risks of radon. Encourage them to test their homes.
• Plan an activity in your community to help raise awareness.
• Write an op-ed or letter to the editor. View tips and a sample op-ed and letter to the editor from EPA’s National Radon Action Month Event Planning Kit.
• Attract media attention by working with a local official to get a radon proclamation. View tips and a sample proclamation from EPA’s National Radon Action Month Event Planning Kit.
4. Buy a radon-resistant home - If you are considering buying a new home, look for builders who use radon-resistant new construction.
Learn more by calling 1-800-SOS-RADON.
Information provided by US EPA.
Posted by Travis on 12/22 at 01:03 AM
Thank you for the post. It is great to see people taking the issue of radon seriously. Radon testing is simple yet many do not check their homes. If the radon levels are elevated, radon mitigation systems can lower radon levels well below the EPA action level of 4.0 pci/L. If needed, radon mitigation systems could be one of the most important investments in your home.