Date Published: 01/18/2020 [Source]
Dear Eartha, I heard that January is National Radon Action Month. What is radon? What actions do I need to take?
Not to be dramatic, but radon is a silent killer, and it could be lurking in your home. This colorless, odorless, tasteless gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about 21,000 Americas die from radon each year.
So how does radon end up in your home? Radon is released when uranium, thorium and radium — all radioactive elements — decay in rocks and soil. The gas escapes from the ground and ends up in the air. And the truth is, we all breathe in radon every day. It's all around us but usually at very low levels because the gas mixes with the rest of the outdoor air.
Indoors, it's another story. We design our homes to prevent the indoor air from leaking outside — otherwise our homes would be freezing and our heating bills would be through the roof. But by keeping the air inside, we're also keeping contaminants like radon inside. Because of our local geology, Summit County falls within Radon Zone 1, which means we're at the highest risk for dangerous radon levels indoors. The EPA recommends that folks take action if radon levels in their home are 4 picocuries per liter or higher. The average radon level in Summit County homes is 10 picocuries per liter. Don't worry about what a picocurie is — the bottom line is that radon is a risk in our community.
The first step to figuring out if you have a radon problem at home is to get tested. Good news for us Summit County residents: It's easy and free to test for radon in your home. Radon test kits are available at the Summit County Environmental Health Department. Kits include easy-to-follow instructions for completing the test and mailing it to a lab for results. They're even pre-stamped and addressed for convenience.
What happens if you have high radon levels? Then you hire a certified radon-mitigation contractor to install a system in your home. This typically consists of piping connected to a constantly running fan that vents the radon out of your home. More information is available from the Summit County Environmental Health Department.