Second Leading Cause of Lung Cancer in the U.S.
(Xenia, OH) The Greene County Combined Health District (GCCHD) is aligned with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Ohio Department of Health and the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency in a campaign to educate Americans about the dangers of radon gas and to encourage them to take action to identify and fix radon problems in their homes. To this end, the GCCHD continues to distribute free radon test kits to Greene County residents. Radon Awareness Week is October 16 – October 22, 2006 and kicks off the testing season.
It is best to test your home during the cooler winter months when it is easier to keep the home closed. The purpose of the awareness week is to draw attention to radon as a serious public health issue and, more importantly, to motivate Americans to take action to protect themselves from the potential negative health effects of excessive radon. It is a health hazard that is present in elevated levels in about 50% of area homes. Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible and odorless gas. It is harmless in outdoor air, but can be harmful when trapped in buildings.
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in February, 1998 presented the findings of their Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) VI Report: “The Health Effects of Exposure to Indoor Radon.” This report by the NAS is the most definitive accumulation of scientific data on indoor radon. The report confirms that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and that it is a serious public health problem. The NAS concluded that radon causes between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year. “However,” says Health Commissioner, Mark McDonnell, “because you can’t see or smell radon, people tend to minimize the health effects and ignore the possibility that it might exist in elevated levels in their homes.”
Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple and inexpensive. Once detected, radon levels can be lowered. Radon test kits that meet EPA guidelines are available free to Greene County residents from the GCCHD.
For more information, please call Margaret Burns at (937) 271-0508.
Need to know where to get a Radon Test Kit?
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