Radon Awareness

With the end of October looming closer and closer, people's thoughts often stray towards Halloween and the fun to be had. Ghouls and ghosts are often the scary things people think of at this time. Not many even consider something you can't even see that can increase your risk for lung cancer. What is this invisible risk factor? It's elemental gas radon.

Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in people who do not smoke. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless gas that is found naturally in the environment. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is in the soil. In an open air environment, it can easily disperse and the small amounts found in the air is not enough to significantly increase one's chance for lung cancer. The greater concern is the amount of radon that can build up in an individual's home. According to the EPA website, it is estimated that 1 out of 15 homes in the U.S. have elevated radon levels. To be considered elevated, the radon level would need to be equal or greater than 4 pCi/L.

In order to find out what the level in one's home is, a short-term radon testing kit should be purchased. These testing kits remain in the home anywhere from two days to 90 days, depending on the kit. Once the kit has been left in-place for the indicated amount of time, the kit should be sent in to the lab that is specified according to the package. A radon specialist can also be hired to measure the radon levels in one's home as well. If the results of the short-term test reveal the levels to be 4 pCi/L or greater, a follow-up test should be done. A follow-up test consists of either a short-term or long-term (greater than 90 days) testing kit. If results are needed quickly, a second short-term test would be warranted. For a more year-round average, a long-term test should be done. Should the results continue to be elevated with either of these, the home will need to be fixed. A radon mitigator should be hired to help reduce the levels of radon in the home. For those who reside in Iowa, you can check the Iowa Department of Public Health website for certified radon testers and laboratories: http://www.idph.state.ia.us/eh/radon.asp.

This week (October 18-24,2009) was Radon Action Week and while it may be too late to take action or raise awareness, it at least has been brought to your attention. January is National Radon Action Month and might be a time to actually take some action and raise awareness. You can think of this as a time for you to become aware of it and start planning out how you can help people when January rolls around. Wintertime is the ideal testing time since it is the time when levels are highest due to the fact that homes are often all closed up, so this is all the more reason to inform people about radon and how to test for it. It can be as simple as a handout or brochure informing people about radon and testing for radon, or it could be short program open to the public to inform them about radon. The skies the limit and I encourage you all to learn more about radon so you can spread the word on the importance of testing and taking action!

Sources:
~Radon Program. Iowa Department of Public Health. 2009. Available at: http://www.idph.state.ia.us/eh/radon.asp. Accessed October 22, 2009.
~Ionizing Radiation. World Health Organization. September 2009. Available at: http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/env/radon/en/index1.html. Accessed October 24, 2009.
~Radon. United States Environmental Protection Agency. October 20, 2009. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/radon/whereyoulive.html. Accessed October 24, 2009


Written by: Jasmine Cessna, PharmD Candidate 2011