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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

What is Radon?

By Margie Kelly

Most of us know better than to expose our children to cigarette smoke, but are you preventing exposure to the second leading cause of lung cancer? Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas that is released in rock, soil, and water from the natural decay of uranium. It seeps into buildings, building up in your indoor air. You can’t see, smell, or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated January as National Radon Action Month, a time when state radon programs and other partners conduct special radon outreach activities and events across the country.

Here are three things you can do:

1. Test your home – EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon. Testing is easy and inexpensive. Learn more about testing your home, including how to obtain an easy-to-use test kit.

2. Attend a National Radon Action Month event in your area – Look for radon events in your community. Contact your state radon program for more information about local radon activities.

3. Buy a radon-resistant home – If you are considering buying a new home, look for builders who use radon-resistant new construction.

Learn more by calling 1-800-SOS-RADON.

Have you tested for radon? If not, will you?

Posted by: WebMD Blogs at 4:18 pm

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