Written by Laura S. Rossinow, Broker/Agent, Kelller Williams Realty, NRPP Certified Measurement Provider 107121 RT

To be aware of the dangers of radon is to educate yourself and those you care about. Radon for most people is an intangible and when asked what radon is, will not know.

Radon is dangerous, radon has been proven to cause lung cancer and radon is natural so why is it such a concern…allow me to share some facts that will boost your radon IQ!

RADON is:

• Invisible
• Radioactive
• Odorless and colorless
• Cancer-causing
• Created during the natural breakdown of uranium in rocks and soil
• Is found in nearly all soils and typically moves up through the ground into homes
• Seeps into homes through any access points such as cracks in foundations, sump pumps or poorly sealed pipes
• Radon gets trapped and accumulates in homes
• ANY HOME CAN HAVE A RADON PROBLEM

Most people think radon gas is the danger, which is not correct. It is radon’s radioactive decay products. When radon gas is inhaled, it will most likely be exhaled again before it starts to decay. The reasoning behind this is because radon gas is inert which means it is has no real chemical reactivity. However, radon gas has a half-life of 3.8 days and will start to decay into radioactive alpha particles. It is these alpha particles that emit ionizing radiation, which is the danger to lung tissue. These decay products can be breathed in without any attachment and deposit themselves in the lungs. A more likely situation occurs when the alpha particles attach themselves to particles of dust, lint, dander, aerosols and smoke that are floating in the air. The attached or unattached particles will adhere to the lung tissue and due to the short half-life of the decay products, alpha particles that remain decays while in contact with lung tissue. The alpha particles will release energy, which can cause permanent damage to DNA molecules. Damaged DNA will replicate and may cause lung cancer.

If you have lived in your home for some time and have never tested for radon, please do so at your earliest convenience. If you have lived in your home and have tested for radon when you purchased, have you re-tested recently…this should be done every 2 years.

RADON AWARENESS…EDUCATE…ACT…TEST YOUR HOME…SAVE A LIFE.