Date Published: 01/09/2007 [Source]
January is ideal time to test home for radon, health officials say About 1 in 3 Minnesota homes have potentially harmful levels of radon gas, second leading cause of lung cancer in U.S.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and about 1 in 3 Minnesota homes contain potentially harmful levels of the gas. But you can't see it or smell it, so the only way to know for sure is to test for it, say Minnesota health officials.
"January is an ideal time to test for radon," said Minnesota Health Commissioner Dianne Mandernach of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). "It's the start of a new year, a time when many of us typically perform a variety of indoor home maintenance and assessment tasks, such as replacing smoke alarm batteries. If you've never done it before, radon testing should be one of those tasks this year. Also, our homes are generally closed up more tightly now because of the weather, so if you're going to have a build-up of radon gas, or you're going to be exposed to it for extended periods, now is the time."
January is National Radon Action Month and communities across the nation have planned activities and special events to increase awareness of the health effects of radon exposure and to promote radon testing, mitigation and radon-resistant new construction.
Joining Kelly during the conference will be WCCO-TV consumer reporter Terri Gruca, who has reported extensively on radon issues in recent years.
Kelly, Gruca and other speakers will likely encourage Minnesotans to test their homes for radon, have elevated levels of radon reduced and have new homes built with radon-resistant features.
In 2006, the department and its partners helped distribute more than 12,000 short-term test kits to Minnesota homes; at least 1,000 homes were mitigated for radon; and approximately 100 new homes were built with radon-reducing features.
Radon is a radioactive, invisible, odorless gas that occurs naturally in the soils of Minnesota and other part of the country. Thousands of Minnesota homes have potentially harmful levels of radon gas.
Radon is found at elevated levels in 1 in 15 homes across the U.S., but in Minnesota 1 in 3 homes have elevated radon levels. Major studies have indicated that exposure to elevated levels of radon causes lung cancer in humans. A National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report in February 1998 confirmed that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. A more recent EPA report released in June 2003 states that radon causes an estimated 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year.
Using simple and inexpensive kits, homeowners can test for the presence of radon in their homes and, if it is present, take steps to fix the problem. Radon test kits are available at city and county health departments, or directly from a laboratory (http://mn.radon.com/). Most are priced under $20. Additional information on how to purchase a radon detector is available from MDH and the radon Web site (http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/radon/index.html).
Radon problems can be easily fixed by qualified contractors. A list of qualified contractors can be obtained by contacting the MDH indoor air unit or visiting the MDH radon Web site (http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/radon/mitigation.html).
Potential radon problems can be built out of homes by taking a few inexpensive steps during the construction process. At an estimated cost of $200, MDH has seen homebuilders significantly reduce radon levels while saving their new homeowners hundreds of dollars and lowering their risk to lung cancer, the deadliest of all cancers.
For more information on radon, radon testing, radon mitigation and building new homes that are radon resistant, call MDH at 651-201-4601 or 800-798-9050 or visit the MDH radon Web site (http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/radon/index.html).