January is National Radon Awareness Month. While most people are familiar with the concept of radon, many are unaware of what a serious health problem radon represents to our community. Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that is emitted from the ground into people’s homes through small cracks and holes in the foundation. When radon breaks down it is radioactive and harmful to humans. The Midwest, in particular, has areas with high radon levels and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists the entire state of Iowa at high risk.
Lung cancer rates in non-smokers, particularly women, are increasing nationwide and radon is the leading cause. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in smokers as well. Lung cancers due to radon exposure can occur as early as 5-15 years after exposure and can affect people much younger than traditional smoking-related lung cancers. In addition to cancer, radon has been linked to infertility, dementia, strokes, and preeclampsia and hypertension in pregnancy.
Radon contributes to lung cancer deaths in 21,000 Americans each year. In fact, radon kills more people in the US every year than drunk driving, home accidents, drowning or home fires. Despite killing more than 7 times as many people as home fires, almost everyone has smoke detectors. How many have tested and mitigated for radon? The EPA lists a radon level of 4.0 pCi/L as the level to take action to mitigate its presence, although mitigation should be considered at a level of 2.0 pCi/L as these lower levels are still a risk. According to the EPA, 1 in 15 homes in the US is above this level. A radon level in your home of 4.0 pCi/L is equal to the cancer risk of exposure to 200 chest x-rays per year or smoking 8 cigarettes per day. A radon level of 20 pCi/L, which is not uncommon in unmitigated homes, increases your chances of lung cancer equivalent to the risk of 1,000 chest x-rays per year or smoking 40 cigarettes per day. The EPA has recommended testing radon in your home at least every 2 years. Radon kits are inexpensive and available at local hardware stores, or you can get low-cost radiation test kits from Iowa’s Radon Hotline at 1-800-383-5992 or order online at www.Lung.org/Radon. They are also available online at sites such as amazon.com and walmart.com. Reusable battery-operated test kits run a little higher cost at $130-150 but can be used to test multiple rooms or shared with friends and family for testing other homes. If your home’s radon level is high, you should consider radon mitigation. Radon mitigation can cost around $1000-2000, but this is inexpensive compared to the treatment of cancer and may be eligible as a covered expense under a health flexible spending plan.
