Radon Awareness Week

Radon Awareness Week
January 23rd, 2022 | Media Release

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) wants to let people know about the risks of radon poisoning by designating January 24-28 as Radon Awareness Week. Earlier this week, Governor Ricketts named this month as Radon Action Month in the State of Nebraska. 

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Surgeon General’s office estimate radon is responsible for more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. That it is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. Smoking and second-hand smoke, combined with exposure to high radon levels, increase the risk of lung cancer. Nebraska is third in the nation with the potential for high radon levels, the most vulnerable area being the eastern third of the state. The reason behind the vulnerability is the rock layer under ground in Nebraska is closer to the surface than in other areas of the country (only Iowa and Pennsylvania have more).

Radon is a naturally occurring odorless and radioactive gas (a byproduct of uranium) that can get trapped in homes and buildings. It exposes the people who live and work inside, increasing their risk of developing lung cancer later in life over time; this risk is even higher among those who smoke cigarettes. Radon is released from rocks, soil, and water, and builds up into homes. Any home in any state, with or without a basement, new or old, can have high levels of radon. When buying a new home, it is almost always less expensive and easier to build mitigation features into these homes than to add them later.

When breathing in radon, radioactive particles from the decay of radon gas gets trapped in the lungs. It takes many years for lung cancer to develop. Most people don’t have symptoms until lung cancer is advanced which at that point is harder to treat. For these reasons, it is important to take steps to reduce radon exposure.

Factors that increase the risk of getting lung cancer from radon include the following:

  • high radon levels in a home or another building where a lot of time is spent, or even a part of the home where time is spent (radon levels are often higher in basements and lower levels)
  • smoking cigarettes (currently or in the past); don’t allow others to smoke in an enclosed space
  • burning wood, coal, or other substances that add particles to the air

Currently, no conclusive data shows whether children are at greater risk than adults from radon. There is no known safe level of radon and the goal should always be to have the lowest level possible. The good news is that exposures to high levels of radon are preventable. However, the only way to know of unsafe levels of radon in homes or offices is by testing.

Contact the state radon office for testing or purchase a test kit in a hardware store or online. If the test results show that radon levels are above 4pCi/L and if there is a need to reduce radon in the space, contact the state radon office at (402) 471-1005 to help find a qualified or state-certified radon contractor in the area to remedy the problem. Lowering high radon levels requires technical knowledge and special skills so it is important to rely only on qualified professionals. Test radon levels again after repairs to be sure they worked.

There are two general types of radon test kits; short-term kits that measure radon for 2–90 days, giving quick results, or long-term kits that measure radon for over 90 days. The latter option is more likely to give an average level year-round.

Since there is no safe level of radon, reducing the amount of radon will always help reduce the risk of lung cancer, even when the level in the space is less than 4pCi/L.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recommends these actions to reduce the risks of lung cancer and help lower radon levels:

  • Increase the airflow in any area by opening windows and using fans and vents to circulate air. However, natural ventilation in any type of house is only a temporary strategy to reduce radon.
  • Seal cracks in floors and walls with plaster, caulk, or other mate­rials designed for this purpose.
  • Cover the earth floor in crawl spaces with a high-density plastic sheet. A vent pipe and fan can be used to blow the radon from under the sheet and vent it to the outdoors.

Always test radon levels again after any of these changes to ensure these actions reduced the radon levels. For more information visit www.dhhs.ne.gov/pages/radon.aspx.

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