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Jan. 4, 2010
January is National Radon Action Month, Test–Fix-Save a Life!
Question: What is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, and the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking?

Answer: Radon. Exposure to radon in indoor air can lead to lung cancer. Radon is a radioactive gas produced by the decay of radium which occurs naturally in rock and soil.


In 2009, the World Health Organization estimated that up to 14% of lung cancers world-wide may be due to radon. In 2003, the U.S. EPA estimated there were more than 20,000 radon-related lung cancer deaths each year in America. Because of this risk, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a national health advisory on radon.


All Americans are urged to test, and if necessary, fix their homes to reduce their risk. Radon testing is simple and inexpensive, and fixing is affordable. The Environmental Protection Agency, state radon programs, and their partners, urge you to fix your home if your test result is four picocuries of radon per liter of air (4 pCi/L), or higher. You should consider fixing your home for a radon level between 2-4 pCi/L, because there is no known safe level of radon exposure. Live green from the ground up - check your home for radon. The life you save may be your own.


To learn more about radon, visit http://www.epa.gov/radon.

To contact your state radon office for help, visit < http://www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html.

 


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Last Updated: July 16, 2014