January is Radon Action Month

(January 1, 2012)—

January is Radon Action Month and the American Lung Association is advising homeowners to test their homes for a presence of the radioactive gas.

Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is dispersed in outdoor air and can reach harmful levels when trapped inside buildings. Scientists have long been concerned about the health risk of radon, but never before has there been such overwhelming proof that exposure to elevated levels of radon causes lung cancer in humans.

“Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers,” explains Penny Gottier Fena, Senior Vice President of Mission Services for the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest. “However, because you can’t see or smell radon, people tend to downplay the health effects and ignore the possibility that there might be a silent killer in their homes.”

Testing for radon is as simple as opening a package, placing the detector in an undisturbed area of the home where radon could be collecting, and mailing the detector back to a lab for results. They are available at hardware stores for less than $20 and more information is available through the Lung HelpLine by calling 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872).

Homeowners whose homes have radon levels of four picoCuries per liter of air (4 pCi/L) or greater are advised to take action to seal or ventilate their homes to remove the gas and reduce the health risks associated with radon exposure.