Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. If you smoke and live in a home with high radon levels, you increase your risk of developing lung cancer. Having your home tested is the only effective way to determine whether you and your family are at risk of high radon exposure.
Radon is a radioactive gas that forms naturally when uranium, thorium, or radium, which are radioactive metals break down in rocks, soil and groundwater.
People can be exposed to radon primarily from breathing radon in air that comes through cracks and gaps in buildings and homes. Because radon comes naturally from the earth, people are always exposed to it.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General’s office estimate radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the U.S.
When you breathe in radon, radioactive particles from radon gas can get trapped in your lungs. Over time, these radioactive particles increase the risk of lung cancer. It may take years before health problems appear.
People who smoke and are exposed to radon are at a greater risk of developing lung cancer. EPA recommends taking action to reduce radon in homes that have a radon level at or above 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air (a “picocurie” is a common unit for measuring the amount of radioactivity).
Your chances of getting lung cancer from radon depend mostly on:
The chances of getting lung cancer are higher if your home has elevated radon levels and you smoke or burn fuels that increase indoor particles.
CDC’s Radon Communication Toolkit is designed for environmental and public health professionals to use to increase awareness and understanding of radon, its health effects, and the importance of testing for radon among the communities they serve.
The toolkit contains customizable fact sheets, infographics, newsletter articles, and social media posts.View large image and text description
Protect Yourself and Your Family from Radon
Having your home tested is the only effective way to determine whether you and your family are exposed to high levels of radon. Steps you can take to measure and reduce radon levels include:
For more information on testing your home, check with your state radon office or call the National Radon Hotline at 1-800-SOS-RADON.
More Ways to Take Action
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development[1 MB] recommends additional actions you can take to reduce high radon levels in your home and protect yourself from an increased risk of lung cancer.
Smoking significantly increases the risk of lung cancer from radon.
Natural ventilation in any type of house is only a temporary strategy to reduce radon.
Contact your state radon office for a list of qualified contractors in your area and for information on how to fix radon problems yourself. Always test again after finishing to make sure you’ve fixed your radon problem.
It is almost always cheaper and easier to build these features into new homes than to add them later.
For more information on testing your home, check with your state radon office or call the National Radon Hotline at 1-800-SOS-RADON.
To find out more about radon test kits, visit Radon Hotlines and Information Resources or refer to the EPA web site on how to use a test kit.
More Information
Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
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