We’re nearing the end of National Radon Action Month, and it’s a good time to remind homeowners to have their homes tested for the radioactive gas and take steps to reduce the risk if elevated levels are detected.
Radon is colorless and odorless and is produced when uranium breaks down. It can enter your homes in many ways, including through cracks in a home’s foundation, windows and other joints.
Exposure to the gas can prove deadly — it’s the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer overall, right behind smoking.
In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure to radon is the No. 1 cause of any cancer.
All told, the CDC says 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year can be attributed to radon.
Dangers associated with the gas are all around us — the CDC reports that one in 15 homes across the country have high radon levels. That’s especially true for residents of the tri-state area.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, counties in our region sit in the middle of a zone where predicted average indoor screening levels are greater than 4 picocuries per liter of air. And when readings reach that level, the EPA recommends you take action to fix your home.
Testing for radon, and following through with taking action to mitigate the risk, are important steps toward making our homes healthier places to live and raise our families.
