JANUARY IS RADON AWARENESS MONTH

January is Radon Awareness Month. Radon is a tasteless, colorless and odorless gas that can seep into your home from the foundation. You do not need a basement for Radon to get into your home, it can seep into any style of home – condo, apartment, single family home, duplex, townhouse – it doesn’t matter, it can get in.

Radon is a radioactive gas that is created from the breakdown of the natural decay of uranium. Uranium is found in all soil in the US, so it really doesn’t matter where you live, though as you can see from the map, some regions are more likely to have it.

When inhaled, radon can cause lung cancer, in fact, it is the second leading cause of cancer next to actually smoking. There are over 21,000 lung cancer deaths due to radon in the US each year.

Luckily, it’s very easy to test for radon and it’s easy to fix your home if radon is detected.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that homes with radon levels at or above 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) should be mitigated to reduce the lung cancer risk of occupants.

Four Things You Can Do During National Radon Action Month

1. Test your home – EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon. Testing is easy and inexpensive.
   • Learn more about testing your home, including how to obtain an easy-to-use test kit.
2. Attend a National Radon Action Month event in your area – Look for radon events in your community.
3. Spread the word
4. Spend time during National Radon Action Month encouraging others to learn about radon and test their homes.
   • Tell your family and friends about the health risk of radon. Encourage them to test their homes.
   • Plan an activity EXIT in your community to help raise awareness.
   • Write an op-ed or letter to the editor using samples from the event planning resources.
   • Attract media attention by working with a local official to get a radon proclamation.
   • View or order EPA’s free radon publications.
5. Buy a radon-resistant home – If you are considering buying a new home, look for builders who use radon-resistant new construction. Read more about radon-resistant new construction, “Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide to Build Radon-Resistant Homes“.
   • Build Green: It’s Easy to Build New Homes Radon-Resistant …”The good news is you can build your customers a safer, healthier, radon-resistant home. The techniques to prevent radon from entering a home are practical and straightforward for any builder. It’s an inexpensive way to offer families a benefit that could reduce their risk of lung cancer. And it’s a smart way to build trust between you and your customer.” Fuad Reveiz, Member of the National Association of Home Builders