As part of National Radon Action Month, all Oregonians are urged to test their homes for radon, one of the leading causes of lung cancer in the United States.

“Because you can’t see or smell radon, people tend to downplay the health effects and ignore the possibility that there might be a silent killer in their homes,” says Radon Coordinator Brett Sherry, Oregon Public Health Division.

Radon is an odorless, tasteless gas that causes no immediate health symptoms, but prolonged exposure can lead to lung cancer.

“”It’s the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Smoking is the only one that causes more deaths…there is a website you can go to see the dangers of Radon. Radon is uranium that’s broken down. When it comes into your house, it can come through the cracks in your foundation, it can come through the windows. It can come through any opening in your house it can come through,” said Deputy Fire Chief Tony Miller of the Ottumwa Fire Department.

Radon may not be something that is thought of in the day-to-day maintenance of a home. In fact, it may not be detected until a home is put on the market for sale, and a standard radon test is carried out. When radon levels get too high within a home, they can radically increase the risk of the home’s occupants developing lung cancer. Help prevent this from happening by installing a radon detector, and if needed radon mitigation systems as well.

The township health department is offering radon test kits for $10 as it has designated January as radon action month, in cooperation with the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in soil and in rock formations. Radon gas moves up into the home through cracks in the foundation and openings around pumps, pipes and drains.

Whatever the smell is, you can be rest assured that it’s not radon gas.

That’s because the gas surpasses the human senses is odourless, colourless, and tasteless.

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and the second leading cause among smokers.

What’s most alarming is that this dangerous gas can accumulate in your home undetected.

Here’s another fact: hardly anyone seems to know about it.

I was doing some research on radon recently.

Part of this included calling local home improvement stores to see if they had radon test kits.

I was surprised, and perhaps not so surprised, that some of them had no idea what I was even talking about!

LA Testing and EMSL Analytical recommend radon testing to help prevent the world’s second leading cause of lung cancer.

Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths than radon according to industry and public health experts. To bring more awareness to this issue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently joined the World Health Organization’s (WHO) first call to action to prevent radon caused cancers in homes across the globe.

According to emerging studies, there is now clear proof that radon gas increases lung cancer risks. Radon is an odorless and colorless gas that can be found in many homes.

Exposure to radioactive radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. EPA estimates that radon is responsible for about 21,000 deaths each year. In fact, radon is the sixth leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.

Ten Southern Illinois counties have been targeted to participate in a study to increase the awareness of radon, a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas that’s often found in homes and has been linked to lung cancer. In June, sponsors of the study made 1,000 free test kits available to residents in the targeted counties of Clay, Clinton, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Marion, Washington, Wayne and Williamson.

Nearly 2500 households in Broxtowe received free test for radon gas after an offer from the borough council.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas, which is known to increase the risk of developing lung cancer.