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Wednesday, November 12, 2003 Breathe easier: Test your home for radon Ask anyone to name the most common cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and you'll probably get the correct answer -- cigarette smoking. But do you know the second leading cause of lung cancer? You may be surprised to learn that it is radon. Radon is a serious public health problem, with studies indicating that it causes between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year. To increase awareness about this potential danger and to motivate the public to test their homes, Oct. 19-25 was designated as National Radon Action Week by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is produced as uranium and radium break down in soil and rock. It is harmlessly dispersed and diluted in outdoor air, but when trapped in buildings, can be harmful, especially at elevated levels. Because it is a gas, it can easily seep from the soil or rock into a house through cracks and holes in a foundation or crawl spaces. The good news is that radon is detectable and can be reduced by up to 99 percent in your home. Marci De Sart, the Pollution Prevention Assistance Division's (P2AD) radon specialist, agrees. "There are testing methods that are readily available to citizens, it's simply a matter of people educating themselves and taking action," she said. "As the state's lead agency on radon, P2AD works with Southface Energy Institute, The University of Georgia and various local governments to increase awareness and understanding of radon and promote testing." What can you do? The first step to protect yourself and your family from radon is to test your home. Just because your neighbor's house doesn't have a high radon level, does not mean that you can assume your home is safe. Radon levels can vary considerably from house to house, even on the same street. It is nearly impossible to predict the exact nature of geologic soil deposits and the extent to which soil gasses will seep into and be retained by a specific house. The only way to know whether there are elevated radon levels in your home, and to protect your family from radon, is to test. Radon tests can be performed by a contractor or can be purchased by mail order or at hardware stores. Many are priced under $25. Testing your home for radon is as simple as opening a package, placing a radon detector in a designated area, and, after the prescribed number of days, sealing the detector back in the package and mailing it to a lab. If a test shows that your home has elevated levels of radon, a variety of methods can be used to reduce it. Sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation is a basic part of most approaches to radon reduction. The EPA does not recommend the use of sealing and caulking alone to reduce radon because, by itself, sealing has not been shown to lower radon levels significantly or consistently. In most cases, systems with pipes and fans are used to reduce radon levels. Radon reduction contractors may use other methods that may also work in your home, depending on its design and other factors. For a list of certified radon measurement and mitigation professionals visit www.radongas.org. The Pollution Prevention Assistance Division is Georgia's lead state agency for radon. Under contract with P2AD, Southface Energy Institute is responsible for encouraging radon-resistant construction, providing technical assistance and outreach to the general public, educators, the building community and real estate agents. For more information about radon, visit www.p2ad.org or www.southface.org or contact Southface locally at 404-872-3549 or 800-745-0037.
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