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Most people know smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, but may not be aware that the second-leading cause of lung cancer is exposure to radon. According to the National Cancer Institute, roughly 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. every year are from radon. It is particularly a problem in Utah, where about 1 in 3 homes have radon levels considered unsafe by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Radon exposure can be easily detected and exposure can be prevented by proper venting. So how can you protect yourself and your family at home from this threat?
Understand what radon is and how it occurs
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that results from the decay of uranium and other elements in rocks, soil, and water. It is found in the air we breathe, but mostly at very low levels. When radon is trapped indoors, it can be hazardous. This odorless, tasteless, and invisible gas can leak into your home through basement walls, sump pumps, drains, and crawl spaces.
Winter is an ideal time to test your home, when doors and windows are shut to keep out the cold. This ‘closed-house’ environment helps detect more accurate levels of radon levels in the home.
Test to protect you and your family
The only way to detect the presence of radon is to test your home. Fortunately, testing kits are inexpensive and the test is easy and fast. A test kit from radon.utah.gov is only $9.
Once you receive a test kit, follow the instructions and place it in the basement or lowest level of your home. It collects samples from the surrounding air. You mail the test to a lab and the results are mailed back to you.
If results show that you do have high levels of radon, search radon.utah.gov to find certified radon mitigators to bring your home back to safe levels.
Don’t be lulled into security because you live in a newer home
The age of your house doesn’t matter; and don’t look to your neighbors’ results for comfort, either. It is possible your home may have high levels of radon while your neighbors’ were found to be safe.
Since January is National Radon Action Month, the Utah Department of Health, Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Huntsman Cancer Institute, and the Utah Radon Policy Coalition are urging everyone to take this opportunity to test their homes for radon and protect their families from cancer.
Take five minutes now to order the $9 test kit and test your home for dangerous levels of radon. Order online at radon.utah.gov .
