Testing for Radon
Peter Jennings' recent passing due to lung cancer and Dana (wife of Christopher) Reeves' announcement that she had it caught us all by surprise and made lung cancer more "personal". Dana's case is more mysterious because, unlike Peter, she is a lifelong "non-smoker".
There is a lot about lung cancer that we don't yet know. But one thing is for sure. We should do all we can to minimize our risks! The first thing is to stop smoking! The Surgeon General's health advisory "may be hazardous to your health" has been printed on cigarettes for more than 20 years. Yet many people persist in smoking. The perspective seems to be that lung cancer is something that always happens to "the other guy!" Back in January of 2005, the Surgeon General also issued a health advisory concerning radon gas and urged Americans to all test their homes since elevated levels of radon have been found in all 50 states.
We know that one can minimize their health risk from smoking by "cutting back" or better yet by "quitting". However, with radon the only way you can know if you have a problem is to get your home tested!! The EPA projects that 21,000 people die annually from long term exposure to elevated levels of radon (that is more annual deaths than those individually from home fires, drownings, airplane crashes and drunk driving!). The EPA also states that if you smoke AND have a radon problem in your home, your risk for lung cancer is 4-5 times greater! We can't totally stop suicide bombers from attacking our interests around the world, but radon induced lung cancer is "totally preventable" if you take action early to get your home or office tested!
Radon test kits are relatively inexpensive to purchase and very easy to use. Most major home improvement stores will sell them and in some states they are provided "free" or for a nominal cost by the State Environmental agency. The tests can be performed in several days and the results are generally mailed off and returned within a week by the radon laboratory that processed it.
If you are considering purchasing a home, you should ONLY use a "certified" radon professional to do your testing. (Someone that does 'home inspections" may or may not qualify!). Qualified persons should be able to provide documentation of their certification from either NEHA (National Environmental Health Association) or the NRSB (National Radon Safety Board). Individuals holding these certifications have successfully demonstrated their knowledge of EPA testing protocols and know how to take steps to make sure that a test is performed correctly and that it is not tampered with. Furthermore, as a prospective buyer, never rely on tests performed in the past by the seller. Insist on having your own independent test done by a certified professional!
For more information on radon testing, see "The Citizens' Guide to Radon" published by the EPA.