Department of Public Health and Environment
Urges Coloradans to
Test for Radon Gas during Radon Action Month
DENVER —January is Radon Action Month, a perfect time
for Coloradans to test their homes for radon, a radioactive gas
responsible for hundreds of Colorado cancer deaths each year. The
colorless, odorless, tasteless gas enters homes through cracks in the
floor or spaces around utility pipes and accumulates unless properly
vented. Long-term radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in
nonsmokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in smokers.
“January is an ideal month to test your home for
radon, because short-term tests require closed windows and
doors,” said Chrystine Kelley, radon program coordinator in the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Hazardous
Materials and Waste Management Division. “Testing is easy, and
it’s the only way to know for certain if your health is at risk
and to make your home safe to prevent harm to you and your loved
ones.”
The Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment provides coupons for reduced-cost radon test kits at
www.coloradoradon.info.
The Web site also lists contractors certified by the National
Environmental Health Association to install systems to remove,
or mitigate, radon. Colorado residents also can call the state’s
Radon Hotline at 1-800-846-3986 or check with their local public
health agency or county extension office for radon information.
“The Environmental Protection Agency recommends
installing a mitigation system if your home tests above 4
picocuries per liter of air,” explained Kelley. “Qualified
contractors can seal cracks and install ventilation systems to
prevent radon from collecting in your home. Merely opening a
window will not remove radon from the home.”
Radon comes from the radioactive decay of
uranium, which occurs naturally in soil. Due to Colorado’s
geologic makeup, 52 of the state’s 64 counties are at high risk
for radon. The gas moves unpredictably through soil, so it’s
possible for radon to collect in one home, but not in a home
next door.
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State of Colorado,
Department
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