You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it in your home but there may be dangerous levels or radon lurking in your house.
About 21,000 Americans die each year from lung cancer caused from radon. The month of January is National Radon Action month and the EPA, U.S. Surgeon General, Iowa Cancer Consortium and Jasper County Public Health Department are encouraging everyone to test their homes, businesses, and schools.
Radon is a radioactive gas released from the normal decay of the elements uranium, thorium, and radium in rocks and soil. It is an invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that seeps up through the ground and diffuses into the air.
Radon can enter homes through cracks in floors, walls, or foundations, and collect indoors. It can also be released from building materials, or from water obtained from wells that contain radon. Radon levels can be higher in homes that are well insulated, tightly sealed, and/or built on soil rich in the elements uranium, thorium and radium. Basement and first floors typically have the highest radon levels because of their closeness to the ground.
Testing is the only way to know if a person’s home has elevated radon levels. Indoor radon levels are affected by the soil composition under and around the house, and the ease with which radon enters the house. Homes that are next door to each other can have different indoor radon levels, making a neighbor’s test result a poor predictor of radon risk. In addition, rain or snow, barometric pressure and other influences can cause radon levels to vary from month to month or day to day, which is why both short- and long-term tests are available.
The Jasper County Health Department has received a small grant from the Iowa Cancer Consortium for 30 free radon test kits, but you must meet certain criteria:
• Only one kit per household.
• Homes must not have been tested for radon in the past two years.
• Homes with passive or active mitigation systems are allowed to test if no testing has occurred in the past two years.
• All Participants must live in Iowa.
Jasper County Health Department has additional radon kits available for $10. Call Kristina Winfield, Public Health Coordinator, with any questions at 641-787-9224.