The Union County Health Department (UCHD) is encouraging local residents to have their homes tested for radon.
Union County, like most of Central Ohio, falls within the radon belt. This means local soil conditions could lead to high radon levels in homes.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, an estimated one in 15 homes in the U.S. have high radon levels.
Information from UCHD indicates living in a home with high radon levels can be dangerous for your health.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and it is estimated to cause over 20,000 deaths each year in the U.S.
Because of how radon and tobacco smoke damage the lungs, high radon levels are especially dangerous for people who smoke. Their risk of lung cancer is 10 times higher than non-smokers.
Radon, a radioactive gas, builds up in homes over time and can’t be seen, tasted or smelled so it’s easy for radon problems to go unnoticed. The only way to know if you have a radon problem is to test your home.
The Surgeon General recommends that all homes get tested for radon. Home radon tests are simple and inexpensive – and can help save lives.
Homeowners can test their homes with a simple kit and if their home has high radon levels, they can fix it.
Representatives from UCHD said fixing homes is cheaper than many people think, averaging $600-$1,200. It can be done with the help of a licensed radon mitigation contractor.
New homes can be built radon resistant, often for less than $500.
Radon test kits can be purchased at most home improvement stores.
A short-term test can give homeowners an idea of what radon levels may be in their home. If levels are high, a long-term test can be purchased to get a more complete picture.
For Union County homeowners with a household income of $80,500 or less, a free test kit can be ordered through UCHD at www.uchd.net/radon.
For more information about how to test your home or where to find a test kit, call UCHD at (937) 642-2053 or call the National Radon Hotline at 1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236).
To learn more about radon, visit http://www.cdc.gov/radon.