Radon: A colorless, odorless, naturally occurring, radioactive gas formed by radioactive decay of radium atoms. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe.
1 Radon is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and causes an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. There aren’t immediate symptoms. It typically takes years of exposure to radon before any health problems surface.
2 The presence of radon in your home can pose a danger to your family’s health because it is a natural radioactive gas that cannot be seen or smelled.
3 Testing is the only way to know if you are at risk from radon. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor. The EPA also recommends testing in schools.
Home test kits for radon gas and counseling are available through the Ottawa County Health Department. Testing kits are $10. Call (616) 393-5645 for more information. Kits also may be purchased online or at home-improvement stores.
4 Radon is found all around the U.S. and can get into any type of building. It gets in through cracks in floors and walls, construction joints, gaps in suspended floors, gaps around service pipes, cavities inside walls and the water supply.
5 Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer, and the World Health Organization estimates radon causes up to 15 percent of lung cancers worldwide.
• Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Resource Management Division, Radiological
815 Filley St., Lansing, MI 48906
• (800) 723-6642 (in state only)
• (517) 327-2618