January is National Radon Action Month
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Surgeon General Releases National Health Advisory
On Radon (01/13/05)
Washington, DC - U.S.
Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona warned the American public
about the risks of breathing indoor radon by issuing a national
health advisory today.
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January is National Radon Action Month. Radon is a
naturally occurring, invisible, odorless gas that is harmlessly
dispersed in outdoor air, but when trapped in buildings, can be harmful
at elevated levels.
Unhealthy radon levels are present in about 43% of
Colorado homes, compared with 6% of homes across all of America. Boulder
County Public Health urges Boulder County residents to take action
during this year’s National Radon Action Month by testing their homes
for elevated levels of radon. It is a serious public health hazard with
a straightforward solution.
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) presented its report “The Health
Effects of Exposure to Indoor Radon” in 1998. This report is the most
definitive accumulation of scientific data on indoor radon. It confirms
that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and is
a serious public health problem. The NAS concluded that radon causes
between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year; however, because
you can’t see or smell radon, people often fail to test for it.
 Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple and inexpensive. If
discovered, radon problems can be mitigated. Radon test kits that meet
EPA requirements are available at local hardware stores, home
improvement stores, the Center for Resource Conservation or directly
from a radon measurement laboratory. Many are priced under $25.00.
Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) is collaborating with the American
Lung Association, the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA),
and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in an effort to
educate Americans about the dangers of radon exposure and encourage them
to take action to identify and fix radon problems in their homes. To
this end, Boulder County Public Health disseminates radon information
and conducts public seminars on a variety of radon topics.
For more
information on radon, radon testing, and radon mitigation , call Boulder
County Public Health at (303) 441-1560.
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