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Climate Action Collaborative: What you need to know about radon and your home

Date Published: 01/01/2020 [Source]

The Environmental Protection Agency has designated January as Radon Action Month to help people understand the risks of radon in buildings.

Radon is an odorless gas that is released from naturally decaying radium and uranium in the soil and can be a scary thing to think about in your home but testing for radon is easy. And, if needed, radon mitigation can be done quickly and often without any disruptions to your daily routine.

The American Cancer Society states on its website that radon is present both outdoors and indoors, but usually at higher levels inside buildings. It shares that radon attaches to dust and other particles and can be breathed into the lungs. Radon gas exposure is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, according to the surgeon general. That is about 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths.

This month there are free short-term self-administered radon test kits available for homeowners and renters in the Eagle River Valley area to pick up. Kits can be picked up at Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon, the Edwards Pharmacy at Shaw Cancer Center, and the Eagle County Environmental Health office in Eagle.

These are simple kits that you open and leave out for about three days, and it is recommended that you keep all windows shut during the test time, and place the kit in the most occupied space on the lowest living level of your home. Then you mail it in and the results are sent to you via email. You can also have a professional test your home, and most real estate inspectors offer this service.