Radon: The Stealth Killer

In outdoor air, radon is diluted to very low concentrations and isn’t threatening. But when radon is emitted into highly concentrated areas, such as homes, it can accumulate and threaten the people who live there.

In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers radon one of the nation’s most serious public health risks. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, just behind tobacco smoke. The EPA estimates exposure to the gas is responsible for between 15,000 and 22,000 lung-cancer cases each year in the United States.

People who smoke and live in homes with high radon levels are at the greatest risk.

"We do know smoking tobacco and being exposed to radon have a cumulative effect," says Dr. Harry Strawn, Alabama Cooperative Extension System radon program coordinator. "If you smoke and you’re subjected even to moderate levels of radon, the chances of developing lung cancer are much greater than if you don’t have radon in your home or are exposed only to low levels of the gas."

EPA has set an action level for radon at 4 picocuries per liter of air (4 piC/L) and advises homeowners to test their homes to ensure radon exposure stays below this recommended level. However, in some cases, exposure levels of only 2 piC/L may pose a risk to some people, Strawn says, especially elderly people with lung ailments who have been exposed to these levels for many years.

The EPA and Alabama Department of Public Health, in collaboration with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and other state and federal agencies, have identified 15 counties in Alabama that have the highest potential for radon exposure and health-related risks. These include Lawrence, Coosa, Cleburne, Calhoun, Shelby, Talladega, Clay, Jefferson, Madison, Jackson, Limestone, Morgan, Lauderdale, Colbert and Franklin counties.

"The risk of radon exposure certainly is most acute in these 15 counties," Strawn says. "It’s very similar to the Hill Country in Tennessee which has serious problems with radon. We want to bring a better understanding to our citizens about radon. It’s not just a buzz word or something that can be ignored."

Extension agents in 18 counties already have been trained in and provided with literature about radon risks and 11 counties are actively participating in Extension's radon education program. They offer a wide array of awareness activities in school and 4-H programs as well as seminars to Realtors, home builders and community groups. County agents also encourage testing for radon levels by offering test kits for a non-profit cost of $5 a kit.

If high levels of radon are found in a home, agents also can provide mitigation literature. In addition, agents also offer training on a wide variety of other indoor air pollutants.

For more information, contact Dr. Harry Strawn, director of Extension radon programs, at (334) 844- 3688, or Assistant Program Director Susan Roberts at (334) 844-3686. In Madison County, contact Sabrina Lyle, Extension radon education technician at the Madison County Extension Office, at (256) 532-1578 Ext. 11.