The holiday season is upon us. It’s a time for gathering together with our friends and family and making memories. You’ll likely spend time decorating to make your home warm, inviting, and festive your family and guests. Now is a great time to make sure your home is healthy for the holidays too. Changing batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors is a good first step, but you should include radon testing in your healthy home checklist.
First and foremost, you should understand what radon is and ensure your information is coming from a reliable source, such as the American Lung Association, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Radon is a toxic gas that can pose serious health dangers with prolonged exposure. Here are some facts:
- Radon is a radioactive gas created when uranium in the earth’s rock, soil or water decays. Indoors, it is not naturally occurring, but a result of the way our homes, schools, and workplaces are designed, constructed, and maintained. Radon is one of the most significant environmental health risks that exists today.
- Radon is a naturally-occurring gas that exists in every home and structure. Radon reaches unsafe levels in an average of 1 in 3 homes in the Kansas City region, across both Kansas and Missouri. The EPA deems levels at or above 4 pCi/L as a health risk.
- Radon no smell, is invisible to the naked eye and has no taste. It is considered one of the most life-threatening forms since it cannot be detected without proper testing. The Surgeon General and American Lung Association warn that radon gas has been proven the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.
- If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, you’re at higher risk for developing lung cancer. Some scientific studies of radon exposure indicate that children may be more sensitive to radon. This may be due to their higher respiration rate and their rapidly dividing cells, which may be more vulnerable to radiation damage.
Radon can be a worrisome subject, but when you educate yourself you also learn that there are simple steps you can take to remediate risk of radon exposure.
- TEST – You should conduct at radon test at least every 2 years. For complete confidence in results, you should have your home tested by an industry-certified radon professional.
- MITIGATION – Installation of a mitigation system will remove radon from your home, reducing harmful levels and risk of exposure. Continued testing is recommended to monitor the performance of your system and levels of radon in your home.
Certified Radon, of course, offers these services. Most importantly, we want people to be informed and to seek the services of a professionally certified radon technician to ensure the safety of their home. With the peace of mind that comes from knowing your home is safe from the dangers of radon, you can enjoy the holiday season even more. Visit CertifiedRadonKC.com for information on our testing services and how to save while giving back this holiday season.
I hope you and your family enjoy a safe and wonderful holiday season!
