Many county homes may have unsafe radon levels


Many county homes may have unsafe radon levels Study part of two-year effort by state agency

A study of radon levels in Sangamon County found that 58 percent of the residences tested had a potentially unsafe level of the naturally occurring, radioactive gas.

Officials with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency said Wednesday the results show the importance of having homes checked.

Part of a two-year study, Sangamon was one of 11 Illinois counties in which more than half of the homes tested had potentially unsafe levels of radon.

IEMA says there would have been more counties on the list, but in most cases, there were too few professional tests in other counties to form any conclusions.

Among the counties with insufficient data were Cass, Logan, Montgomery and Morgan, all of which, along with Sangamon, lie in a section of the state that has a high potential for radon problems.

Radon is produced by trace levels of naturally occurring uranium in the soil. As the uranium decays, it releases radon gas, which is odorless, tasteless and colorless.

While some people think that only homes with basements are susceptible to high radon levels, Daniels said those with crawl spaces, built on a slab and even mobile homes can have problems.

IEMA encourages anyone who discovers elevated levels of radon in their home to contact a licensed radon mitigation professional to correct the problem. Depending on the home, radon mitigation can cost $800 to $1,200.

Homeowners can purchase do-it-yourself radon tests at hardware or home-improvement stores for about $20. A home radon test conducted by a licensed contractor can cost $125 to $150.

Overall, the study determined that 46 percent of the 22,000 homes tested had potentially unsafe levels of radon.

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