Date Published: 03/23/2006 [Source]
Radon gas found in one-in-five homes in county
Do you have radon gas in your home? If you don't know, you might want to find out, says Leroy Halberg, director of Cook County Environmental Health.
Radon is a dangerous but naturally occurring radioactive gas that can be found at high levels in one in five homes in this part of the state, he said.
The colorless, odorless and tasteless gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, and is a silent health hazard that is finally getting the attention it deserves, he added. The Minnesota Department of Health estimates that radon causes between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the U.S.
Although Minnesota doesn't have the highest levels of radon in the country (In Iowa and the Western states, for example, one of three homes has dangerous levels), Minnesota's long winters make it a particular concern. In the spring, summer and fall, radon can release into the air outside. But in the winter, frost and snow forces the radioactive gas into homes through cracks in foundations, floor-wall joints and loose-fitting pipe penetrations.