Radon is a highly radioactive gas that can be introduced into the home
through the ground beneath it, well water, and the building materials
that constitute your house or apartment. Part of what makes radon so
dangerous is the fact that it is colorless, tasteless, and odorless, and
that it produces no immediate symptoms, which means that you will
normally be completely unaware that you are inhaling it. According to
the CPSC, one study of residential radon levels has indicated that radon
is over three times as prevalent in homes as in the outdoors.
Inhalation of radon is linked to lung cancer, and the CPSC estimates
that it causes between 7,000 and 30,000 lung cancer deaths every year.
For smokers, radon exposure increases the risk of cancer even further,
as radon can attach itself to the smoke and lodge itself in the lungs.
Fortunately, testing for radon is relatively inexpensive and easy to do
using readily available radon testing kits. It is a good idea to test
your home, and if radon levels are higher than 4 pci/L, take steps to
reduce it. Contact a professional to help you.
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