Date Published: 01/15/2020 [Source]
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and other officials recognized January as Radon Action Month before the county council on Jan. 14. The county is designated a Zone 1 area by the EPA, which means it has the highest potential indoor radon levels. Zone 3 areas have the lowest potential.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas. It's found in soil and rock, and some areas are at a higher risk of exposure than others.
Radon enters homes and buildings through cracks in the foundation, walls and joints. It's invisible and odorless, like carbon monoxide, but requires separate testing to detect it. Testing is the only way to know exposure levels, according to the EPA.
Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. causing about 21,000 deaths yearly.
High radon levels can be counteracted through radon reduction systems. There are also systems that prevent radon from entering a home in the first place, like soil suction, which takes radon from below homes and ventilates it into open air where it's diluted.