Blog
What Is Radon?
Ask Us!
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
by Margie Kelly, Communications Manager, Healthy Child Healthy World
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 (EPA) 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.
Here are four things you can do:
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.
Have you tested for radon? If not, will you?
Information provided by US EPA.
Image is 2012 EPA Radon Awareness Month poster contest winner
Posted by Betsy (Eco-novice) on 01/04/2012 at 10:48 AM
I’ve been meaning to test our rental for radon FOREVER! I’m going to order a short-term test through my state right now—thanks for all the links. I found my state’s radon site and they have great info about the highest risk counties plus short-term tests for only $5. Thanks, HCHW!
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Posted by Sarah Streeter on 01/06/2012 at 01:16 PM
This is something everyone should do, it is VERY important. We are the process of buying a house in an area of where I live that has high radon levels. Due to the levels in the older home we are buying the seller is having to remediate it and we will be doing additional solutions to eliminate/reduce the levels in our home. Without this test our realtor told us we had to do, we would of never known. I have been telling everyone about it since.