American Lung Association in North Dakota Offers Homeowners Warning, Advice on Radon

BISMARCK, N.D., Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- January is Radon Action Month, and the American Lung Association in North Dakota is advising homeowners to test their homes for the naturally occurring radioactive gas linked to lung cancer. Because of the state's geography, virtually all homes in North Dakota have a higher than average risk of trapping the invisible, odorless gas inside, where long-term exposure can cause lung cancer. In fact, exposure to radon is the second largest cause of lung cancer after smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, Lung Association officials say.

"More than 60 percent of the North Dakota homes tested in an EPA study had elevated levels of radon inside, so we can't emphasize enough the need for homeowners to test their homes," said Kelly Marczak, director of the American Lung Association in North Dakota's radon action campaign. "January is a good time to test for radon, while we all have our homes sealed up for the winter."

Testing for radon is as simple as opening a package, placing the detector in an undisturbed area of the home where radon could be collecting, and mailing the detector back to a lab for results. Postage and lab fees are free, if you order your radon detection kit from the American Lung Association in North Dakota. For more information or to order a kit, call 1.800.LUNG.USA.

Homeowners whose homes have radon levels of four picoCuries per liter of air (4 pCi/L) or greater are advised to take action to seal or ventilate their homes to remove the gas and reduce the health risks associated with radon exposure.  More information can be found on the North Dakota Department of Health Radon website: http://www.ndhealth.gov/aq/iaq/Radon/.

SOURCE American Lung Association in North Dakota