January is National Radon Action Month, and in just the first three days, the demand for free home radon test kits offered by the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania in conjunction with it has reached the thousands.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and the State of Lung Cancer report reveals that it is detected at high levels in about 40% of homes in Pennsylvania. The American Lung Association in Pennsylvania is urging residents to help save lives by testing their homes for radon and mitigating if high levels are detected.
Valerie Gleason, senior division director for marketing and communications for the Lung Association in its eastern region, said the association only has about a few hundred kits left. The test kits are available at no charge, one per household while supplies last, only at Lungradonkits.org/pa. The program is supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas emitted from the ground, a news release explained. Radon is odorless, tasteless and colorless, and it can enter a home through cracks in floors, basement walls, foundations and other openings. Radon can be present at high levels inside homes, schools and other buildings. Nationally it is responsible for an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year, and it is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who have never smoked.
In Pennsylvania, about 40% of radon test results equal or exceed the Environmental Protection Agency action level of 4 pCi/L, or picoCuries per liter of air, according to the Lung Association’s State of Lung Cancer report. It ranked the state at 33 among all states for new lung cancer cases, placing it in the average tier. The report noted that over the past five years, the rate of those new cases in Pennsylvania improved by 20%.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a proclamation declaring January 2024 Radon Action Month in the commonwealth.
“Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking in the United States and is a serious concern within the commonwealth,” Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection interim acting Secretary Jessica Shirley stated in the news release. “The Department of Environmental Protection remains committed to working with home builders, school districts, Realtors and other Pennsylvania departments to address radon issues and keeping all Pennsylvanians safe.”
The officials said the radon test kits — also available online or at home improvement stores at an average cost of $20 to $30, according to the DEP website — are easy to use. If high levels are confirmed, a radon professional should install a radon mitigation system, which is easy and relatively affordable. A typical radon mitigation system consists of a vent pipe, fan and properly sealing cracks and other openings. This system collects radon gas from underneath the foundation and vents it to the outside. Contact the Pennsylvania radon program online or at 800-237-2366 for a list of certified professionals.
The Lung Association has done radon work with PA DEP, and its predecessor agency PA DER, for more than 30 years, according to Kevin Stewart, director of environmental health for the Lung Association. It has had a regularly renewed relationship with it as the association’s own single statewide entity since 2000.
The Lung Association also has a free Radon Basics course at Lung.org/Radon-Basics. More information on radon is available at Lung.org/radon.
Helen is a copy editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but she's currently on strike. Contact her at hfallon@unionprogress.com.