Minimizing Radon Risks Important for All Kentuckians
By
Terri McLean
LEXINGTON, Ky.,
(Jan. 10, 2007) – You can’t see it. You can’t smell it. You
can’t taste it. Yet, radon gas is an ever-present indoor
pollutant that poses risks to people all across Kentucky. (click
to see a map of radon by county at the bottom of this release)
“We do have a
problem,” said Heather Robbins, a University of Kentucky
Cooperative Extension Service associate for radon education and
awareness. “Almost 400 lung cancer deaths a year in Kentucky can
be attributed to radon.”
In an effort to
create awareness about radon, a radioactive gas that is the
second-leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States,
Gov. Ernie Fletcher designated January as Kentucky Radon Action
Month. The Kentucky Radon Program and its partners, UK
Extension, Western Kentucky University and county health
departments throughout the state, are busy this month spreading
the word about the risks of radon exposure and how to minimize
them.
“The main thing
is we want people to test (for radon),” Robbins said. “You have
to test to know if you have a problem in your home.”
Radon is formed
when uranium found naturally in the soil decays. It typically
moves up through the ground and seeps into homes and other
buildings through cracks and holes in the foundation. It is
estimated that nearly one out of 15 houses in the United States
have elevated radon levels.
Testing for
radon is not expensive, Robbins said. In fact, many county
health departments offer radon test kits for free. Neither is it
time-consuming. Short-term radon test kits can provide results
in two to 90 days.
 However,
yearlong test kits are recommended for people who live in areas
of the state characterized by karst geological formations –
sinkholes, underground streams, caves and fissured rock. (The
yearlong kits are also free and available at most local health
departments.) In Kentucky, 92 of the 120 counties are known as
karst areas. Studies have shown that indoor radon levels in
these areas are extremely variable, and short-term tests are
less likely to provide an accurate estimate of annual radon
exposure.
“People worry
about waiting a year (for the results),” Robbins said. “With
radon, it’s a long-term exposure. It’s not like carbon monoxide,
where you have it in your home a couple of days and you could
become very ill from it. … But the sooner you get it taken care
of the better.”
Radon levels
are measured in picocuries. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency recommends levels less than 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L)
and advises people with levels of 4 pCi/L and above to take
action.
“It’s fairly
inexpensive to fix a (radon) problem,” Robbins said. “It may
cost anywhere from $1,200 to $2,500 to have a professional fix
it. … There are ways to do it yourself. It’s good to have
someone come in and do it because they know what they’re doing.
But if you’re determined to do it yourself, we can help you.”
When building a
house, people are advised to “build it radon resistant,” Robbins
added. “It may cost about $300. It’s just so much easier to
build it into your home than to have to come back and fix it
later.”
Because
Kentucky has a high number of cigarette smokers, Robbins said
it’s important to point out that people who smoke further
increase their chances of getting radon-related lung cancer.
“What happens
is, when someone in your house smokes, that smoke stays in the
air … and radon, or the particles that it breaks down to,
adheres to that smoke. That makes you breathe it in a little bit
easier,” she said.
In addition to
educating people about radon exposure, Robbins said she and
colleagues throughout the state are determined to bust the
misperceptions that persist, including the belief that houses
without basements are not at risk.
“It’s not just
a problem with basements; it’s a problem with all types of
homes,” she said.
For more
information about radon and radon testing, contact the local
Extension office or health department. Information is also
available on the
Kentucky
Radon Program’s Web site. Or call 502-564-4856.
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