Date Published: 01/13/2020 [Source]
January is Radon Awareness Month and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality's Radon Control Program encourages people to consider that long-term exposure to indoor radon can be deadly.
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers, and second only to smoking for the entire population. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than 20,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer every year.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas. Radon seeps into homes and buildings through cracks in the foundation or walls, and can accumulate over time in homes that are not properly vented. The underlying geology of much of Montana and the Northern Rockies makes homes in our region particularly susceptible.
The EPA recommends that people take action if they find radon at levels in their homes greater than or equal to 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) of air.