This is radon testing month

A radon test kit will help determine the safety of the air in your home.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless and tasteless. Radon is released harmlessly from the ground into outdoor air, but it can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings.

Scientists have long been concerned about the health risks of radon, but never before has there been such overwhelming proof that exposure to elevated levels of radon causes lung cancer in humans.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon is responsible for more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.

Since radon does not have an odor and is invisible, people tend to downplay the health effects and ignore the possibility that there might be a silent killer within the walls of their home.

Some homes in this county have tested high for radon. Houses in the same neighborhood can have very different levels, so every home should be tested.

Testing homes for radon is simple and inexpensive. Radon test kits can be purchased at local hardware and home improvement stores, directly from radon testing companies, or is available for free during January from the N.C. Radon Program. Should your home be found to have elevated levels of radon, the problem can be fixed by qualified contractors for a cost similar to that of many other home repairs. In our area, the cost can be from $800 to $2,500 depending on the home.

The N.C. Radon Program urges residents to take action during this year's National Radon Action Month by testing their homes for radon. Radon poses a serious threat to our community's health, but there is a straightforward solution.

For more information on radon and to receive your free radon test kit, please contact your Cooperative Extension office at 704-216-8970 or visit the office at 2727 A Old Concord Road, Salisbury. The kits will provide you with the directions on how to conduct the test and send for results. For further information about radon you may also want to visit the N.C. Radon Program's Web site at www.ncradon.org. The United States Environmental Protection Agency is another source of information. You may visit their Web site at www.epa.gov/.

Toi N. Degree is a family and consumer education agent with the Rowan County Cooperative Extension Service. Call 704-216-8970 or e-mail: toi_degree@ncsu.edu.