National Radon Action Month underway
EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — January is National Radon Action Month. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking in the United States, and Pennsylvania is no stranger to it.
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says testing for Radon is one of the easiest things you can do to keep your home safe and your family healthy.
You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it. Radon is a radioactive gas that can seep into homes through cracks in basements and foundations, and then build up inside to high concentrations.
“Quite a few people in Pennsylvania have the problem. Our data shows that about 40% of the homes that have been tested have results greater than the EPA’s action level, which is four picocuries per liter,” said DEP Radon Program Manager Bob Lewis.
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It doesn’t cause any immediate symptoms, which is why people can be exposed without knowing.
Radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths every year.
“Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who have never smoked, so everyone should test for radon because anyone who has lungs could get lung cancer,” American Lung Association Director of Environmental Health Kevin Stewart said.
Testing is the only way homeowners can know for certain if they have a problem, and the DEP says winter is the ideal time to do it.
Disaster Blaster of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre sells test kits and installs radon mitigation systems into homes.
“We’re drawing the radon gas below the slab, below the concrete floor in your basement to a fan unit that then vents it up above the roofline, around your living space,” Disaster Blaster Manager Matthew Lyons explained.
“If your neighbor tests, and they don’t have radon, it does not mean anything with regards to your house. I can’t tell you how many times the neighbor didn’t test, and they end up with radon,” Disaster Blaster State-Certified Radon Contractor Gary Lyons said.
Radon test kits typically cost less than $50.
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