(Madison County, NY – Jan. 2015) Seatbelts. Sunscreen. Low-sodium diets. There are many actions that we can take to stay safe and healthy. Some of them, like cutting back on soda and carefree days under the sun, require a little bit of sacrifice. Others, like quitting smoking, can require a huge amount of effort. But there’s one big action we can take to help protect our health that requires very little effort or sacrifice: radon testing.
Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that can accumulate in your home and can cause cancer in you and your children. Radon usually comes from the surrounding soil and can enter through cracks and openings on the lower levels of your home. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Any home can have a radon problem.
Many people don’t know about radon because you can’t see, smell, or taste it. But exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Although lung cancer can be treated, the survival rate is one of the lowest for those with cancer.
In 2014, 41 percent of basements tested for radon in Madison County showed high levels of radon, above the EPA’s recommended action level for radon reduction at 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air or greater. The average home basement radon level in Madison County was 6.12 pCi/L. In comparison, the average indoor radon level is estimated to be about 1.3 pCi/L and about 0.4 pCi/L of radon is normally found in the outside air.
Radon exposure kills an estimated 20,000 people in the U.S. each year—a number that could be dramatically reduced by easy, inexpensive home testing and repair.
While Madison County is an area known to be at risk for high levels of radon, radon levels vary around the county, state, and country, but no home is free from risk. The only way to know if you are at high risk for radon exposure is to test your home. Conducting a radon test is as easy as opening a package, placing the detector in a designated area, and after a set number of days, sending the detector back to the lab for analysis. Many kits are available at your local hardware store for under $25, or homeowners may contact Madison County Health Department to find out how to request a free or low-cost test kit.
If your home does have an elevated level of radon, a qualified radon mitigation contractor can make repairs to solve the problem and protect your family.
Testing your home, and making repairs if necessary, is a small price to pay for the health of your loved ones. Resolve this New Year to take action and know the radon level in your home.
To learn more, contact Madison County Health Department at 366-2526 or visit www.healthymadisoncounty.org.