Local health officials assist with radon awareness and testing

[February 02, 2009]  Radon, the second-leading cause of lung cancer, is a silent killer, but health officials are working to combat its effect by educating the public and offering testing kits.

The Logan County Department of Public Health began a partnership with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency in 2007 to distribute radon kits to Logan County residents, and more than 300 have been provided since then. The kits were offered free on the H.O.P.E. Mobile in January as part of Radon Testing Month, and they were given out quickly.

"We are very excited with the response we have received in offering these kits," said Matt Ringenberg, director of environmental health at the health department. "We also stress to the people with acceptable levels of radon that retesting should occur every two years. Settling of the home or improvements to the home may create areas where dangerous radon gas can enter. Since radon is colorless, odorless and tasteless, it is important to retest appropriately."

According to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, radon is a radioactive element that is part of the decay chain of naturally occurring uranium in soil. You can't see, smell or taste radon. Unlike carbon monoxide and many other home pollutants, radon's adverse health effect, lung cancer, is usually not produced immediately. Thus, you may be exposed to radon for many years without suspecting its presence in your home.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, radon is the second-leading cause of overall lung cancer -- second only to smoking -- and is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year, with about 2,900 of these deaths occurring in people who have never smoked.

The EPA has established a radon action level of 4.0 picocuries per liter of air and has indicated that homes in Logan County have a high potential to test above the radon action level, according to Ringenberg.

"The only way to know if your indoor air is above this level is to test," he adds. "Test kits are easy to use, can be performed in as little as three days and are available for purchase at most home improvement and hardware stores."

Test kits can also be purchased at the Logan County Department of Public Health for $5.

If you would like to purchase a test kit, have questions about radon or need recommendations if your home has tested above the radon action level, please contact the health department at 217-735-2317. The department can also assist homeowners in finding professional technicians to confirm high levels of radon and install mitigation systems where needed.

[Text from file received from Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital]