Date Published: 08/03/2007 [Source]
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It occurs naturally from the breakdown of uranium inside the Earth and is pushed up into the air. While radon contamination is preventable, 74 percent of Angie's List members polled have not had their homes tested for radon.
The Hookers are not part of that woeful percentage. Their concern for their friend's health quickly turned into concern that they, too, might be in danger from harmful levels of radon. They weren't about to expose their child to it. So, for about $25, the Hookers bought an at-home radon test online. After placing the test on the bottom-most level of their home and leaving it for a few days, they sent the sample to the lab for analysis. The results came back two weeks later with a borderline result of 4.0 pCi/L., that means 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), a high level of radon.