2007 Radon Campaign

Radon: Toxic Worry in Homes This Winter

Denver, Colorado - While escaping the cold this winter, be aware of another indoor air hazard. Radon. You can’t see radon. You can’t smell radon. There are no symptoms of exposure, yet radon is a health hazard when it accumulates to high levels inside homes or other structures. In fact it is deadly. Indoor radon exposure is estimated to be the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths each year in the United States.

Tarah Schroeder, 29, moved into her home with thoughts of settling into her new neighborhood and didn’t think about the quality of the air she was breathing. Schroeder was given a radon kit as a housewarming gift from a friend who learned about Radon when purchasing her home. She received the results and was shocked to learn that her home had a radon reading of 7.9 pi/clr which is nearly two times higher than acceptable limits as determined by EPA. “I thought it was funny to receive a radon kit as a housewarming gift,” stated Schroeder, “I had no idea it could save my health.”

Schroeder had a professional radon mitigator assess her home and found that over the years the normal settling of the home was the culprit. The solution to rid her home of radon was quick and best of all - inexpensive. Schroeder says, “It took less than week to rid my home of radon. Such an easy process and not expensive either. The cost of not testing would have been so much greater.”

Because radon is not regulated in Colorado, it is up to owners to test their homes for the invisible, odorless gas. After leaving the kit in the basement or ground level of the home for a few days, the test kit is mailed to a laboratory for analysis and a report on radon levels are sent back to the homeowner.

Homes found to have elevated radon concentrations can easily be corrected by a qualified radon mitigation contractor. Repair options range from sealing cracks in floors and walls, changing the flow of air into the building, and depressurization systems that move radon away from the home to safely dissipate outdoors. Most repairs run between $500 and $1,500.

The American Lung Association in Colorado is urging homeowners to have their homes tested for radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can enter homes through the soil or well water. Long-term exposure to radon is believed to cause 21,000 lung cancer deaths a year in the United States, and the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States - second only to smoking. In Colorado between one-third to one-half the homes have radon levels in excess of the Enviromental Protection Agency recommended action level.

The American Lung Association in Colorado is offering radon kits for $7 while supplies last. Homeowners should visit www.lungcolorado.org/radon.htm to order their radon kit.

About the American Lung Association in Colorado

For nearly 100 years, the American Lung Association in Colorado has been the lead organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined. The American Lung Association in Colorado funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association in Colorado is “Improving life, one breath at a time.” For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to www.lungcolorado.org.