Lung Cancer and Radon

There has been a renewed interest in lung cancer recently due to the diagnoses of celebrities. I have seen several TV segments with people who have lung cancer but who have never been a smoker. None of these segments pointed out that next to smoke exposure, radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer, estimated to cause approximately 15,000 lung cancer deaths annually in the United States.

Radon is a tasteless, odorless, colorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas. It originates from the breakdown of uranium in our rocks and soil. Radon enters our homes through cracks in foundations and walls, openings around floor drains, pipes and sump holes. Some areas of the country also have it in water supplies.

This area is a known area of radon risk. Some Lancaster County homes have had levels over 100 pCi/L measured. An estimated 40 percent of Pennsylvania homes have radon over the EPA guidelines of 4 pCi/L.

You are most likely to be exposed to radon at home. Testing can be done by you easily and inexpensively. These tests can be purchased from a hardware store or a Pennsylvania certified lab. The American Lung Association is an excellent local reference on testing.

Any test of 4 pCi/L or higher should be followed up with a confirmatory test. If confirmed, the EPA recommends that you have a radon mitigation system installed to lower the radon levels. That should be done by a certified company. To verify certification, call 1-800-23-RADON or go online at www.state.pa.us – (Keyword “DEP Radon”) – “Radon Services Directory.”

When selling a home, the seller must disclose any known radon test results to the buyer. Ask for one to be done if it wasn’t. Make sure it was done properly. The state’s radon toll free line is 1-800-23-RADON. They have some buyers and seller’s guides as well as reduction guidelines.