October 15, 2004

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has proclaimed the week of October 17-23, 2004, to be Radon Action Week in Michigan, and Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester is joining her in encouraging state residents to test their homes for radon.

“You can’t see or smell radon, and there isn’t any way to predict which homes will have a problem,” Granholm explained. “That is why we all have to become personally educated to be on guard about this environmental health threat.”

Radon is believed to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the leading cause among nonsmokers, resulting in as many as 600 lung cancer deaths annually in Michigan.

Noting that one in eight Michigan homes would be expected to have an elevated radon level, Director Chester encouraged residents to test their homes during this heating season.

Radon is found in almost any kind of soil or rock in at least trace amounts. It travels through the ground, and when it is released to the atmosphere, it is quickly diluted. When it enters a building through openings in the foundation floor or walls it tends to be more concentrated than outdoors, and exposure over time increases one’s risk of contracting lung cancer.

Test kits are available at local health departments and generally cost between $5 and $15, including the postage to mail the device to an out-of-state lab, as well as the fees for having the device analyzed and a report sent back to the user. Kits can also be found at some hardware stores and other retail outlets, however not all kits include postage and analysis, so citizens are urged to read the packaging before making their purchase.

For a free information packet about radon, call the DEQ Radon Program at 1 800-RADON GAS (1-800-723-6642).

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

Revised October 15, 2004 by Kathy Curtis