What is Radon?

• A naturally occurring radioactive gas.
• Colorless, odorless and tasteless.
• Found all over the U.S. in all types of buildings.

Where Does Radon Come From?

• Occurs naturally by the decay of uranium in rock and soil.
• Uranium is widely found in trace amounts in soil and rocks.
• Radon in soil and rocks under and adjacent to buildings migrates through foundations, cracks and small openings and concentrates inside buildings.

What are the Health Risks of Radon?

• Breathing air with elevated radon levels over long periods of time is known to increase your risk of lung cancer.
• Radon is a class “A” carcinogen.
• Second leading known cause of lung cancer, with cigarette smoking being number one.

Radon is a Serious National Health Problem!

• National health experts recommend testing your home for radon: Surgeon General, American Lung Association, American Medical Association, American Cancer Society, American Public Health Association and others.
• The 1998 report by the National Academy of Sciences ‘Health Effects of Exposure to Indoor Radon’ reaffirmed the risk from radon and estimated that radon causes between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the U.S.
• Indoor radon gas is a national health problem. Radon causes thousands of deaths each year. Millions of homes have elevated radon levels. Most homes should be tested for radon. When elevated levels are confirmed, the problem should be corrected.

How Radon Causes Lung Cancer

Radon is the Second Leading Cause of Lung Cancer

• Breathing air with elevated radon levels over long periods of time is known to increase your risk of lung cancer.
• Radon is a class “A” carcinogen.
• It is the second leading known cause of lung cancer, with cigarette smoking being number one.

National Radon Health Advisory:

• Indoor radon gas is a national health problem.
• Radon causes thousands of deaths each year.
• Millions of homes have elevated radon levels.
• Most homes should be tested for radon.
• When elevated levels are confirmed, the problem should be corrected.

-- U.S. Public Health Service

Annual Deaths from Selected Causes

*Radon is estimated to cause between 15,000 and 22,000 deaths per year, according to the National Academy of Sciences 1998 data. The number of deaths from other causes are actuarial data taken from 2000 National Safety Council Reports

What Factors Put My Family at Risk?

• The strength of the source; how much uranium/radium is in the soil
• Porosity of the soil
• House construction including foundation type: Basement, Crawlspace, Slab-on-grade
• Weather conditions: Wind, temperature, barometric pressure
• Occupant activity

How Radon Gets Into a Home

How Do You Know if Your Radon Levels Are Too High?

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