Homing In On Radon

March 25, 2014- Each year, more than 21,000 Americans die from radon-linked lung cancer.

As a follow-up to our blog post on the danger of radon exposure in our nation's schools, "The ABCs of the EPA's National Radon Action Month," we spotted a weather.com article that urges homeowners to test for radon.

Here are some of the highlights from the article, titled "The Invisible Killer In Your Home":

• Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible and odorless gas derived as uranium in the ground decays over time. Levels are typically higher during the winter heating season when windows and doors are more often closed.
• Studies show that radon gas kills more people than drunk driving.
• Experts also see a likely increase in radon levels because of climate change. Laureen Burton, a chemist and toxicologist in the EPA’s Indoor Environments Program, citing a report from the National Academy of Sciences, told weather.com, “Climate change may make some existing indoor environmental problems worse and introduce new ones.”
• Self-testing radon kits are typically $25 or less. Testing is the only way to know if a home has elevated levels of radon. Radon mitigation systems may be installed which pump the radon gas out of the home.

The post also relates several first-person accounts from individuals suffering from overexposure to radon gas.

Read the full weather.com post here. Read our earlier post on The ABCs of the EPA's National Radon Action Month here.

Carnow Conibear and Associates is a demonstrated leader in the occupational and environmental health professions since 1975. To find out more, click here or call us at (800) 860-4486.