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January National Radon Action Month 2012
EPA has designated January as National Radon Action Month, a time when state radon programs and other partners conduct special radon outreach activities and events across the country. The aim of National Radon Action Month is to increase the public's awareness of radon, promote radon testing and mitigation, and advance the use of radon-resistant new construction practices.
With every breath, your family could be exposing themselves to a radioactive gas called radon. It's impossible to see, smell or taste. And it could be accumulating to unsafe levels in your home right now.
Radon is found at high levels in every state in America. It seeps into your home from the surrounding soil, and sometimes contaminates well water. It's the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S - only cigarette smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General have strongly recommended that all residences test for radon.
Your family's risk of developing lung cancer from radon depends on the average annual level of radon in your home and the amount of time you spend there. The longer your exposured to radon, the greater the risk. And the risk is much greater for smokers.
Luckily, radon is easy and inexpensive to detect, and homes with high levels can be fixed. But it's up to you to find out whether radon is a problem in your home. Millions of people have tested their homes already.
Radon Grant Awarded to Health Department
The Nebraska Radon Program, through the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services, has awarded Loup Basin Public Health Department (LBPHD) a Radon Awareness and Risk Reduction grant to increase public awareness of radon testing in all homes. This grant allows LBPHD to purchase short-term home radon detection kits to distribute to residents in the nine-county health department district. Loup Basin Public Health Department in partnership with UNL Extension Educators: Janet Hanna- Garfield, Loup and Wheeler counties, Jessye Goertz- Custer County, Kayla Hinrichs and Cheryl Tickner- Howard, Valley, Sherman and Greeley Counties, are working to achieve these goals. Loup Basin Public Health Department is encouraged to see increased testing in the nine county district area.
Kits are available free of charge, by contacting your local extension office or by calling LBPHD at 308.346.5795 or 866.522.5795. These short-term, home radon detection kits will be available at each of the extension offices, as well as the Loup Basin Public Health Department after December 1, 2011 thru April 1st, 2012, or until the kits run out. Contact LBPHD at 308.346.5795 or 866.522.5795 for information on where to get a kit in your county.
“You can’t see radon. And you can’t smell or taste it. But it may be a problem in your home.”
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Did You Know…
- Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking?
- Approximately 20,000 cancer deaths each year are caused by radon?
What is it?
Radon is a radioactive gas that cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted and is found around the country. When you breathe air containing radon, the sensitive cells in your airway are irritated, increasing your risk of developing lung cancer.
Radon is found in the dirt and rocks beneath houses, in well water, and in some building materials. It can enter your house through soil, dirt floors in crawl spaces, and cracks in foundations, floors, and walls. Once inside, radon gas can sometimes get trapped inside the house.
All houses have some radon, but houses next to each other can have very different radon levels, so the only way to measure your particular risk is to test your own house. Radon is measured in “picoCuries per liter of air,” abbreviated “pCi/L.” This measurement describes the number of radon gas particles in one liter of air. The amount of radon outdoors is usually around 0.4 pCi/L, and indoors is around 1.3 pCi/L. Even though all radon exposure is unhealthy, radon at levels below 4 pCi/L are considered acceptable. If your home has more than 4 pCi/L, you should take action to lower this level.
What can you do?
Testing your home is very important. About 1 out of every 15 homes has a radon problem, and yours could be one of them. The only way to know for sure is to test your home. You can buy a radon test kit at a hardware or order it by mail. There are two types of tests: short-term tests take two days, while long-term tests take around 90 days and provide results that are slightly more accurate.
Follow all the instructions that come with your test kit. If possible during the test, keep your windows closed to keep air from escaping. Place your test kit in a room on the lowest level of your home that you use regularly, probably on the first floor or the basement. When the test is done, send it to a lab to process the results.
The Nebraska Radon Program offers short-term radon test kits for $5 each.These test kits are typically used by homeowners during the first measurement in a home. Long-term radon test kits are also available for $15.
To place an order by mail make your check payable to:
Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services
Mail Payment to:
Nebraska Radon Program
301 Centennial Mall South
Lincoln, NE 68509
Instead of doing the testing yourself, you can hire a professional to do it for you.
Fix it!
It is possible to lower the levels of radon, and the risk of lung cancer, in your home. Most of the time, this will involve removing radon gas from underneath your concrete floor, crawlspace, or foundation before it can enter your home. This will require special skills and knowledge, and you may need to hire a professional contractor to help you reduce the levels of radon in your home. If you are considering fixing your home’s radon problem yourself, you should first contact your state radon office for guidance and assistance.
A few things you can do:
- Stop smoking and discourage smoking in your home. Smoke increases the risk of lung cancer from radon.
- Increase air flow in your house by opening windows and using fans and vents to circulate air. Natural ventilation in any type of house is only a temporary radon reduction approach because of the following disadvantages: loss of heat or air conditioned air, related discomfort and increased costs, and security concerns.
- Seal cracks in floors and walls with plaster, caulk, or other materials designed to seal cracks and gaps.
Contact your state radon office for a list of qualified contractors in your area and for more information on how to fix radon problems yourself. Always test again after finishing to make sure you’ve fixed your radon problem. If you are buying a new home, ask whether radon-resistant construction techniques were used. It is almost always cheaper and easier to build these features into new homes than to add them later.
For more information:
Nebraska Radon Program
P.O. Box 95026
Lincoln, NE 68509-5007
Phone: 402.471.0594 or 800.334.9491
Fax: 402.471.0169
Visit our website
Mark Versch, Environmental Health Analyst
E-mail:
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or
Sara Morgan, Indoor Air Quality Program Manager
E-mail:
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US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
www.epa.gov/radon
Radon Fix-it Hotline
1.800.644.6999
American Lung Association
http://www.lugsusa.org
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