Date Published: 12/29/2009 [Source]
DHEC Offers Free Radon Kits to Families STAFF REPORTS Published: December 29, 2009
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to educate residents about the dangers of radon exposure.
"Radon is a naturally-occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is dispersed in outdoor air, which can reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings," said Sandra Flemming, director for DHEC's Division of Analytical and Radiological Environmental Services.
Flemming said scientists have long been concerned about the health risk of radon, but never before has there been such overwhelming proof that exposure to elevated levels of radon causes lung cancer in humans. The EPA estimates that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
For more information on obtaining a free radon test kit from DHEC, call 1-800-768-0362 or (864) 241-1095.