Date Published: 02/01/2020 [Source]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and local health officials are raising awareness about the risks of radon — and teaching how to test homes.
Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas produced in the soil and moves upward to enter your home through the foundation or with groundwater from a well.
An estimated 1 in 15 homes in the U.S. have high radon levels. In Livingston County, about 36 percent of homes tested have radon levels of >=4 pCi/L, which is the EPA's "action" limit, and 25 percent of Livingston County homes have 2-<4pCi/L, for which the EPA suggests that homeowners "consider action," according to data from the state Department of Health.
Living in a home with high radon levels can be dangerous for your health. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and it is estimated to cause more than 20,000 deaths each year in the U.S. Because of the ways that radon and tobacco smoke damage the lungs, high radon levels are especially dangerous for people who smoke. Their risk of lung cancer is 10 times higher than non-smokers.
Radon builds up in homes over time and can't be seen, tasted, or smelled — so it's easy for radon problems to go unnoticed. The only way to know if you have a radon problem is to test your home.
The Surgeon General recommends that all homes get tested for radon.
Home radon tests are simple and inexpensive — and can help save lives, health officials said.
Homeowners can test their homes with a simple kit — and if their home has high radon levels, they can fix it. Radon reduction repairs can be done with the help of a licensed radon mitigation contractor.
If you are a Livingston County resident and want to know how to test your home or want to receive your free radon test kit, call the Livingston County Department of Health Center for Environmental Health at (585) 243-7280.