Understanding The Seriousness Of Exposure To Radon

Although radon has been around since the lateAmerican Medical Association unanimously agree
1800's, there are a lot of people who do notthat testing your home is critical to the overall
know what radon is and the dangers that arehealth and well being of your family.
associated with it.There are ways to lower radon levels to an
Radon is a natural gas; it is the by-product ofacceptable limit. Most of the time, the cost is
uranium, which is found in most soil in the Unitedminimal. The do-it-yourself enthusiast can do it for
States.less than five hundred dollars.
It is an odorless, colorless gas that can be foundIf you are hesitant to do it yourself because of
in homes, schools public buildings and evenwhat is at stake, then you can hire a professional
churches. It can be found in the soil and even theto remove the radon from your home.
water.It is alarming to learn that the radiation that is in
Radon is radioactive and it can be potentiallyradon gas is the same radiation that is found in
deadly if it is not found in time.Plutonium. It is equally alarming to learn that a
Scientific research has proven that Radon gas isperson living in a home with this substance is
the second leading cause of lung cancer in thebeing exposed at a rate of thirty- five times
United States. It is frightening to think that if ahigher than the NRC (Nuclear regulatory
person smokes tobacco and breathes in radoncommission) allows for a radio active waste
gas, that person is doubling their risk of developingdisposal site.
lung cancer. Radon does not have any symptomsThe EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
until it is too late. In the United States today, overestablished that one in one hundred thousand
two billion dollars are spent every year on radonpeople would die from carcinogens. The death
related cancer costs.rate for radon is one in one hundred. These
Our children are our most precious commoditiesnumbers are appalling.
and we send them to school each day for aThis dangerous substance has been a threat for a
proper education. If there is radon in the schools,long time and has been found in homes in every
our children are breathing this poison nine monthsstate in the United States. Until recent decades,
out of the year for twelve years. It can takeno one really thought too much about it. Now that
years for radon poisoning to take its toll.we know how dangerous it is, steps have been
The American Lung Association, National Safetytaken to either reduce the radon to an acceptable
Council, the Environmental Protection Agency,level or eliminate it all together.