January is National Radon Action Month
It's National Radon Action Month!
Cold, winter temperatures in many parts of the country have families hunkered down in their homes, keeping windows and doors closed so that living spaces can stay as warm as possible. This protracted indoor time has predictable consequences that we're aware of more hours devoted to TV and home computer use, greater popcorn consumption, and plenty of time to connect with friends by phone or Facebook.
One potentially hazardous effect of spending more time indoors is greater exposure to radon gas that seeps out of soil and rocks beneath a house and then accumulates in a tightly closed house. That's why it's fitting that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared January as National Radon Action Month.
Now more than ever, it's important to have your house tested for radon to find out if remediation strategies are necessary to protect family members from dangerous exposure levels. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, causing over 21,000 cancer deaths per year.
Since radon gas is invisible and odorless, it's easy to overlook. But it's estimated that at least one (1) in fifteen (15) homes in the U.S. has dangerously high radon levels. Millions of Americans are being exposed to this cancer-causing gas without knowing it. The EPA recommends that radon gas concentration greater than 4 picocuries per liter (4 pCi/L) presents a serious health hazard and should be reduced using established ventilation strategies.
To push for greater safety across the country, the EPA and eight other federal agencies are cooperating to strengthen the fight against radon exposure. This broad-based initiative involves the General Services Administration, and the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, and Veterans Affairs. Throughout the country, special attention will be focused on low-income families who may not have the resources to make radon mitigation repairs.
You can take part in this nationwide initiative. Make sure to have your house tested for radon if it hasn't been tested before, or if it's been two years since the last testing. It's also good to encourage your neighbors to do the same. The good news about radon is that testing can be done accurately and inexpensively to ascertain a home's radon risk. If your home's radon levels are high, an experienced radon mitigation contractor will be able to utilize proven techniques to reduce radon exposure below the 4.0 pCi/L threshold.
