Radon Risk

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

28 Feb 2009 10:24 AM

I've been on a home safety kick recently. I think it is because I keep hearing about all of these issues with people I know and dangers in the home. Just this week, a boy in my son's class witnessed his house burning down while he was waiting for the school bus because of a chimney fire. A neighbor suffered extensive wind damage to her home. And now, one of our dear friends just announced that he has been breathing in radon for probably the last few years.

So if you will bear with me on another post about home safety, I think this is a good time to talk about the risk of radon.

Radon is an odorless, invisible gas that can be present in your home without you knowing about it. It is radio-active and has been positively linked to lung cancer. It can come naturally from the breakdown of uranium in rock, soil and water. In fact, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, claiming 20,000 lives every year. If your family breathes in radon on a regular basis, then your risk of cancer goes up. It is as simple as that.

Radon gas is so prevalent in homes that the government estimates that one in every 15 American homes has elevated levels of radon gas.

To test your home, you can either do a home test on your own or hire a professional to test for radon. Many home improvement stores, such as Lowes or Home Depot sell radon test kits. They are not very expensive, and they could save your life. If your radon levels are elevated, you will need a professional to install specific vents to reduce the amount of radon that you are breathing at home.

To learn more about radon and your home, you can click here: http://epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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