January is National Radon Action Month – The Second Leading Cause of Lung Cancer

Cancer is scary and is often related to either smoking or Radon.  During the month of January, EPA and health officials want you to make sure your home is free of radon, which is one of the leading causes of certain cancers. As a result of this the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated January as National Radon Action Month. EPA estimates that about 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the U.S. are radon-related.

Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water. Radon is a form of ionizing radiation and a proven carcinogen. Lung cancer is the only known effect on human health from exposure to radon in air. Thus far, there is no evidence that children are at greater risk of lung cancer than are adults.

Radon in air is ubiquitous. Radon is found in outdoor air and in the indoor air of buildings of all kinds. EPA recommends homes be fixed if the radon level is 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) or more. Because there is no known safe level of exposure to radon, EPA also recommends that Americans consider fixing their home for radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L. The average radon concentration in the indoor air of America's homes is about 1.3 pCi/L. It is upon this level that EPA based its estimate of 20,000 radon-related lung cancers a year upon. It is for this simple reason that EPA recommends that Americans consider fixing their homes when the radon level is between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L. The average concentration of radon in outdoor air is .4 pCi/L or 1/10^th of EPA's 4 pCi/L action level.

The radon health risk is underscored by the fact that in 1988 Congress added Title III on Indoor Radon Abatement to the Toxic Substances Control Act. It codified and funded EPA's then fledgling radon program. Also that year, the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning about radon urging Americans to test their homes and to reduce the radon level when necessary (U.S. Surgeon General).

Unfortunately, many Americans presume that because the action level is 4 pCi/L, a radon level of less than 4 pCi/L is "safe". This perception is altogether too common in the residential real estate market. In managing any risk, we should be concerned with the greatest risk. For most Americans, their greatest exposure to radon is in their homes; especially in rooms that are below grade (e.g., basements), rooms that are in contact with the ground and those rooms immediately above them.

Information obtained from EPA’s web site: http://www.epa.gov/radon/aboutus.html

A quick and inexpensive way to test for Radon in your home or office is with the DIY Radon Screen Check available at Grainger, Sears, www.INDOORAIRTEST.com and many other fine retailers.

Building Health Check manufactures of the popular do-it-yourself (DIY) IAQ Screen Check product line offer additional DIY kits that includes:

• Mold Screen Check
• Allergen Screen Check
• Formaldehyde Screen Check
• Organic Vapor Screen Check
• Bacteria Culture Screen Check
• Fiberglass Screen Check
• Staph Screen Check
• Bed Bug Screen Check
• Fungi Culture Screen Check
• Dust Mite Screen Check
• FAST Screen Check
• Radon Screen Check
• Lead Screen Check
• Dust Screen Check
• Smoke Screen Check
• Evalu-aire Pro 2000

For more information on the Radon Screen Check or other DIY IAQ Screen Check product line contact Cy Garner at 1-800-422-7873 ext 804. Distributors interested in carrying the IAQ Screen Check can also contact Cy Garner or Christina Castello ext 804 or 404 respectfully.

About Building Health Check LLC:

Building Health Check sets the industry standard for IAQ DIY kits, testing equipment, and laboratory analysis. Building Health Check has affiliations with EDLab and Accustar Labs.

Building Health Checks, LLC’s expanding client roster includes: Hunter Fans, WW Grainger, Progressive Insurance, USACE, Southern California Schools JPA, VA Medical Center, Broward General Healthcare, General Services Administration (GSA); Allstate Insurance; Carrier Air Conditioning; and, CB Richard Ellis and many other Fortune 500 companies, school boards, and city, state, and county governments, making Building Health Check, LLC the reliable industry leader in DIY IAQ testing.

For more information on Building Health Check, LLC or EDLab please contact Cy Garner, at 727-572-4550 ext 804 or visit www.indoorairtest.com