Radon Gas Found in Every North Dakota County, Experts Offer Advice on Making Homes Safer

BISMARCK, N.D., Jan. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- January is Radon Action Month, and the American Lung Association in North Dakota is again advising homeowners to test their homes for the naturally occurring radioactive gas linked to lung cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that every county in the state is in the "Radon Red Zone," meaning homes located there have the highest potential risk of trapping the invisible, odorless gas inside, where long-term exposure can cause lung cancer.

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, so it is very important for homeowners to test their homes," said Joey Roberson-Kitzman coordinator of the American Lung Association in North Dakota's radon action campaign. "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."

To order a free radon detection kit from the American Lung Association in North Dakota, send a request via email to [email protected]. Be certain to include your name, complete mailing address and a telephone number. Those without access to email can still order a kit by calling 1.800.LUNG.USA.  Postage and lab fees are free, if you order your radon detection kit from the American Lung Association in North Dakota, but supplies are limited.

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