Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is dispersed in outdoor air, but which can reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings. Scientists have long been concerned about the health risk of radon, but there has been overwhelming proof that exposure to elevated levels of radon causes lung cancer in humans.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General's Office estimates that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year. 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. Breathing it over prolonged periods can present a significant health risk to families. However 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.
A family whose home has radon levels of 4 pCi/l is exposed to approximately 35 times as much radiation as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would allow if that family was standing next to the fence of a radioactive waste site.
Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple and inexpensive. Radon test kits can be purchased at your local hardware and home improvement stores or directly from radon testing companies. They are reasonably priced. Radon problems can be fixed by qualified contractors for a cost similar to that of many common home repairs such as painting or having a new water heater installed.
If you or someone you know is purchasing a home you may want to consider having the home tested by a qualified contractor when you do your inspections.
Eunice
