Radon is a radioactive element that is found underneath many homes in the United States--as many as one in 15 have elevated levels of radon, according to EDCMag.com. Radon testing is a requirement in many counties and states because of the health risks associated with this element. Concerns over radon began in 1984, when a power plant worker set off radiation monitors although the plant was under construction; investigators later learned that the worker's house had extremely high levels of radon. Many health concerns are associated with radon under the home, but radon testing kits are easily found online and in some hardware and construction stores, and if radon is present, ventilation can be installed to safely release radon from underneath the home.
Hard to Detect
It is impossible for a person to know what kind of radon levels a house may have without purchasing and using a test kit. Radon is colorless and odorless. It seeps into homes through cracks and holes in the foundation and exterior. There is also no way of knowing where or when radon may occur--while some locations have been designated as hot spots for radon, the element is produced when uranium breaks down, unlike some radioactive elements that are produced in a laboratory. Because of this, it can theoretically exist anywhere, making home testing essential.
Lung Cancer Risk
According to the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency, radon is more deadly than carbon monoxide, in regard to the number of people it kills each year. Other than smoking, it is the leading cause of lung cancer in individuals. It also poses a serious health risk to children. As many as 22,000 people die every year because of radon poisoning, according to EDCMag.com. The high occurrence of lung cancer is due to radon's presence in the air, which is then inhaled into the lungs and contaminates the body with radioactive particles, which can change cell growth and cause the development of cancer cells.
Few Symptoms of Radon
When radon gets into your system, it can break down into lead particles that settle in to your body. However, the presence of lead is not a symptom in and of itself, since lead can enter the body in other ways. In many cases, individuals with radon poisoning are not aware that they suffer from this problem until they--in rare cases--set off a radioactivity meter, or in other cases develop lung cancer and have a doctor trace the cancer back to radiation levels in the body. At this point, it is often too late.
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