Take action to stop radon gas
Take action to stop radon gas
Natural occurring gas a leading cause of cancer
By MARVIN BAKER
EDITOR
January is National Radon Action Month and federal agencies as well as local health officials are urging homeowners to take precautions against radon, or at least have their homes tested to determine whether or not it represents a health risk.
Radon gas has recently been identified as the leading cause of lung cancer in the United States among non-smokers.
The Environmental Protection Agency has officially designated this month to be National Radon Action Month in the United States. And because North Dakota has historically shown higher levels of radon gas in homes than many other states, officials are urging tests be done.
“The only way for a person to know if they have high radon levels is to test their home,” said Daphne Clark, the public information officer for the Upper Missouri District Health Unit in Williston. “Homes of any age can high radon levels and you can have two homes side by side and one can have high levels and one low, so testing is the only real way to know.”
Radon is a naturally-occurring, radioactive gas that seeps out of the ground and can enter homes and other buildings. Radon is invisible and odorless. Radon problems have been found in every county in the United States so the Surgeon General is recommending homes be tested to mitigate the risk of lung cancer.
