Be aware of radon

January is National Radon Action Month and the Marathon County Health Department is encouraging Marathon County residents to test their homes for radon gas.

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in the United States among non-smokers. You can’t see, smell, or taste radon, but it may be a problem in your home. The EPA estimates radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer greatly increases.

Radon can be found all over the U.S. Radon comes from the natural radioactive breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the air you breathe. It can get into any type of building- homes, offices, and schools- and build up to high levels. You and your family are mostly likely to get your greatest exposure at home since that’s where you spend most of your time.

You should test for radon. Ensure that you are safer at home. Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. In Marathon County, two out of every three homes test above the EPA recommended action level for radon. Testing is inexpensive and easy. Radon test kits can be ordered from the safety of your home through the Marathon County Health Department website.

You can fix the problem. There are simple ways to fix a radon problem that are not costly. Even very high levels of radon can be reduced to acceptable levels. More than 100 radon mitigation contractors in Wisconsin are nationally certified to install radon mitigation systems if elevated radon levels are found. Thousands of systems are installed in existing homes in Wisconsin each year. Newly constructed homes should include features recommended by the National Association of Home Builders to reduce radon entry.