Date Published: 11/05/2006 [Source]
A stealthy, invisible killer is on the loose in southern Michigan and experts are urging residents to fight back -- with sponges and charcoal. The elusive enemy is radon, a radioactive gas that seeps from the soil into homes and increases the risk of lung cancer, said Sue Hendershott, the indoor radon specialist at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
Based on 2005 data, the DEQ tagged eight counties as "red zones" -- areas where residents face a higher risk of exposure to high radon levels. The counties are Cass, St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Branch, Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee and Washtenaw.