Radon: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
by Laurine Brown

It's “natural.” You can't see, smell, or taste it. But it is estimated to cause over 21,000 deaths each year in America - more than from drunk driving. January is even the National Action Month for this neglected health threat, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). What is it?
Radon - a cancer-causing (radioactive) gas originating from the breakdown of uranium in the soil. How are we exposed? While radon can leach into water supplies (especially well water), most commonly, the odorless gas seeps up into the air in our homes through cracks in floors, walls, pipes, or even tiny pores. The tightness of homes traps the gas, explaining why indoor levels are much higher than outdoors, as I found in my own home recently. As you breathe in the gas, its radioactive particles act like bowling balls thrown into your lung tissues, potentially leading to lung cancer. The Surgeon General tells us radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US, surpassed only by smoking. And if you are already a smoker, radon exposure acts synergistically, essentially multiplying harm.
Disturbingly, nearly 1 in every 15 homes in the US is estimated to have elevated radon levels. Radon in air is measured in “picocuries per liter of air,” or “pCi/L”, and EPA recommends action when levels are above 4pCi/L, (though levels lower than this may still pose risks.) Most of Illinois, including McLean County, is ranked in EPA's “Zone 1”, meaning the highest potential level for radon problems. Fortunately, high levels can be easily fixed with a professionally installed mitigation system, which vents the soil gasses out. But radon's invisibility keeps many of us unknowingly vulnerable to this preventable risk. This is tragic, given the poor prognosis for lung cancer (only 11-15% survival 5 years after diagnosis), and disturbing upward trends in the US for non-smoking related lung cancers.
I'm among the procrastinators (albeit now, regrettably). Despite the fact I preached about radon's health harms in environmental health classes, had neighbors with mitigation systems, had a friend die from a non-smoking related lung cancer, and had even purchased a test kit, other things took priority. But this year, when a neighbor selling her home tested and found levels exceeding EPA's upper limit, I took 5 minutes to read the instructions (yes, embarrassingly, that's all it took), set up the testing vials, and mailed them off to the lab after the designated time. The results stunned me. My home measured radon levels of 25 pCi/L, more than 6 times the EPA action level! Why didn't I test sooner? I contacted local and state radon resources, retested to verify results (lower this time, but still high), got bids from licensed professionals and selected one to install the ventilation system (which took less than one day.) I retested after mitigation and my home's radon levels were negligible. While, sadly, I can't take back my family's exposures over those years, I can breathe easier now, knowing I've lowered our risks.
With radon, what you don't know can hurt you. Don't procrastinate, like I did. A small investment now may save your life.
Test your home. It's the only way to know if you have a radon problem, and the EPA and Surgeon General recommend ALL homes below the third floor for radon be tested. With your home tightly sealed up, winter is a great time to test. Testing is easy, inexpensive ($10-$30 per kit which includes the processing fee), and takes only a few minutes to set up (contact your state radon office for guidance - see below). The quickest is to use short term do-it-yourself tests (sold online, and hardware stores or other retail outlets) usually conducted over 2 to 7 days, depending on the device, and sent to a processing lab. If you prefer, or if buying or selling a home, you can hire a qualified tester. Because radon levels vary daily and seasonally, long term tests (lasting more than 90 days) can also be done to give year round averages. But for quick results, a short term test, followed by a second short-term test, can be done.
Fix your home, if radon levels are 4 pCi/L or higher, using a certified or state licensed radon mitigation contractor to install the ventilation system (see www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/consguid.html). Radon reduction systems work, resulting in up to 99% reduction and cost $800 to $2,500 (averaging $1,200). When selecting a contractor, make sure they guaruntee their work. Retest your home after mitigation to ensure success.
Buyers Beware. EPA strongly recommends all homebuyers have an indoor radon test performed prior to purchase, and fixed if high levels are found. See www.epa.gov/radon/realestate.html for special radon protocols in real estate transactions, and in Illinois www.radon.illinois.gov/iema/radon/pdf/radontestguidelineforrealestate.pdf,
If you are considering a new home, look for builders who use radon-resistant new construction www.epa.gov/radon/rrnc/index.html.