Testing for Radon Gas is Simple and Inexpensive

Hartford —The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is urging Connecticut residents to test their homes for radon gas, the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers in the United States.  Governor M. Jodi Rell has designated January as Radon Action Month in Connecticut.

Radon, a naturally-occurring radioactive gas, is dispersed in outdoor air and can seep into homes from surrounding rock and soil.  Soils contain various levels of uranium, which when broken down forms radon.  When this radioactive gas gets trapped in a home or building, it can reach harmful levels.

“Radon is present at elevated levels in about one out of every five homes in Connecticut,” stated DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.  “However, because you can’t see or smell radon, people often are unaware that there might be a silent killer in their homes.” 

Radon gas can be found in any home or building, including schools and offices.  Scientists have long been concerned about the health risk of radon, but never before has there been such overwhelming proof that exposure to elevated levels of radon causes lung cancer in humans.

The EPA estimates that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year.  Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking, and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.  Because radon is odorless, tasteless and colorless, the only way to know if it's present in a home or building is to test for the silent gas.

Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple and inexpensive.  Radon test kits can be purchased from the American Lung Association of Connecticut for $12.  Simply call 1-800-LUNG-USA and order yours today.

If you have high radon levels in your home, don’t panic.  Radon problems can be fixed by qualified contractors for a cost similar to that of many common home repairs such as painting or having a new water heater installed (anywhere from $800 to about $2,500).

To learn more about radon, radon testing and mitigation visit the DPH web site at www.ct.gov/dph and click “Programs and Services” then click the “Radon” program link, or call 509- 7367.  You can also visit the EPA’s radon web site at www.epa.gov/radon

The Connecticut Department of Public Health is the state’s leader in public health policy and advocacy with a mission to protect and promote the health and safety of the people of our state.  To contact the department, please visit its website at www.ct.gov/dph or call (860) 509-7270.

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