January 6, 2006

January is National Radon Action Month, and Michigan residents are being encouraged to learn more about this environmental health threat and to test their homes this heating season.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that emanates from the soil and seeps into homes through openings in the foundation floor or walls. It is believed to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the leading cause among nonsmokers, resulting in more than 600 new lung cancer cases in Michigan each year.

“The good news is that once a problem is identified, elevated radon levels can be reduced,” said Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester. “I recently had my home tested, and I am urging homeowners to take that same initiative.”

Radon is a tasteless, odorless, colorless, radioactive gas that occurs naturally in soil and rock. Outdoors, radon becomes diluted and poses little health risk, but indoors radon can accumulate to unhealthy levels. Long-term exposure to radon increases one’s risk for developing cancer.

"Radon may result in more than 600 cases of lung cancer in Michigan each year, but these cases are preventable,” said Michigan Surgeon General Kimberlydawn Wisdom. “I urge all Michigan residents to reduce their lung cancer risk by testing their homes for radon."

Michigan survey data projects that more than one in eight Michigan homes could have a radon problem, and elevated radon levels have been found in every county.

Test kits are available from local health departments all across the state. The kits generally cost less than $15 and include postage to mail the device to a laboratory where it will be analyzed and the results reported back to the user. Kits can also be found at hardware stores and other retail outlets; however, not all retail kits include postage and analysis, so citizens are urged to carefully read the packaging before making their purchase.

Radon tests should be done in the lowest livable level of the home during the cooler months of the year, when windows and doors are normally kept closed. If the test indicates an elevated radon level, additional testing should be done to confirm the problem and appropriate actions taken to reduce the levels when needed.

It is possible to reduce radon levels by simply caulking and sealing potential entry points; however, it may be necessary for homeowners showing elevated levels to hire a professional radon mitigation contractor to ensure the levels in their home are reduced.

To find out more about radon, visit the DEQ Web site at http://www.michigan.gov/deqradon or call the DEQ’s Radon Program at 1-800-RADON GAS (1-800-723-6642) for a free packet of information.

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

“Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future”

Revised January 6, 2006 by Pat Watson