How to Test Your Home for Radon

By Stacy Simon When it comes to reducing your cancer risk, one important step could be right under your nose, or below your feet. Getting your home tested for radon can help protect you and your family from a key cause of lung cancer. Exposure to radon accounts for about 21,000 deaths from lung cancer each year according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While that is nowhere near the 480,000 deaths a year caused by smoking, it’s still significant. And it’s the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. What is radon? RADON HOTLINES: 1-800-SOS-RADON Purchase radon test kits 1-800-55RADON Live help for your radon questions 1-800-644-6999 Info about reducing radon in your home 1-866-528-3187 Obtener ayuda en vivo con sus preguntas Radon is a gas that occurs naturally outdoors in harmless amounts. It’s produced from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rocks. It sometimes becomes concentrated in homes built on soil with natural uranium deposits. It can enter buildings through cracks in floors or walls, construction joints, or gaps in foundations around pipes, wires or pumps. Radon levels are usually highest in the basement or crawl space. When radon gas is breathed in, it enters the lungs, exposing them to small amounts of radiation. This may damage the cells in the lining of the lungs and increase a person's risk of lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer is higher in those who have lived for many years in a radon-contaminated house. The ...
Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Cancer Risks/Causes Lung Cancer - Non-Small Cell Source Type: news