It may seem like we’re worrying about more and more things every day, and that most of those worries are either fictitious, or the product of some masterminds that are just trying to get a hold of your money. And in most cases that’s true. But January has been designated National Radon Action Month by the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smoking American citizens
- The toxic gas is responsible for killing 21,000 Americans every year
- Radon is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making it very hard to detect
- It is produced by the decay of Uranium and Thorium, two of the most common natural radioactive materials
- The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that 1 in 15 houses contains dangerously high radon levels
Radon is one of the most dangerous silent killers in the world. It is present wherever there are uranium and thorium deposits, and it appears as a toxic gas after they decay.
Being a noble gas, radon is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making it impossible to detect without specialized tools.
If you want to purchase a radon testing kit, there are several sources. For example, the National Radon Program Services at Kansas State University offers them for sale online. Some improvement stores also have the test kits for sale, but in some areas, the state may offer radon testing for free.
The radioactive gas is very dangerous, being the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smoking Americans.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, living in a house contaminated with radon for 12 years is like smoking ten packs of cigarettes a day, or working in a Uranium mine for five years.
Besides the fact that 1 in 15 houses contains elevated levels of radon, it is estimated that two thirds of US houses are built in areas with levels of radon that exceed the average level of 0.4 pCi/L.
According to the EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency) and the U.S. Surgeon General, all US homes should be tested for radon, as it is a very dangerous, yet hugely preventable health risk.
If there is a radon presence in your home, there are steps you can take to ensure your safety as well as your family’s, but you have to see an expert on the matter, which you can find quite easily online.
Image source: Wikimedia
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