Take Charge of Your Health During National Radon Action Month
Take Charge of Your Health During National Radon Action Month
Has your home recently been tested for radon gas? January has been named the National Radon Action Month by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), meaning that now is the perfect time to make sure radon levels are low in your home.
Because we tend to stay indoors with closed windows and doors more often in the winter, radon tests can more accurately measure just how much radon has built up at this time of year. According to EPA guidelines, the safe level of radon within a home should be under 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L).
But why is the EPA so concerned about radon? Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that is impossible to detect with the naked eye. It is also the nation’s leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, causing around 20,000 deaths per year.
In fact, radon-induced cancer affects so many lives that the EPA has collaborated with several other organizations to create the National Radon Action Plan. The goal of this new plan is to reduce radon risk in 5 million homes and save 3,200 lives annually by the year 2020. Eventually, this plan aims to eliminate all cases of lung cancer caused by radon.
If you want to take part in National Radon Action Month, the EPA has suggested a few ways to get involved. You can attend a National Radon Action Month event in your area, help spread the word about radon, and, if you’re buying a new home, make sure that it is protected against this harmful gas.
Radon testing is easy and inexpensive and can have serious health benefits for you and your family. A radon problem is fixable - even very high levels can be reduced to safe levels with radon mitigation.
If you already have a radon mitigation system in your home, the EPA recommends having it inspected every two years. There's no better time than now to protect yourself - find a
National Radon Defense contractor in your area for professional radon testing and mitigation services!
