Unlike the usual ramifications of the term SBD (silent but deadly), radon gas is odorless and invisible. In contradistinction, radon is tasteless whereas the commonplace SBD is completely lacking in manners.  Silent but deadly, the much-underappreciated radon gas is, according to the CDC, the third leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. It is responsible for an estimated 20,000 cases of lung cancer annually. The leading causes are, of course, smoking and second-hand smoke. The combination of smoking and radon gas exposure is particularly high risk. The risk of mortality is higher than for drunk driving, falls in the home, drowning, and home fires.

Radon gas is a natural breakdown product of uranium in the soil, rock, water, and air, and is found throughout the U.S. Radon rises up through the soil and can become concentrated in homes at levels many times that of the ambient atmosphere. It’s in the home that most exposure to radon occurs.

Fortunately for those counties in Partnership HealthPlan of California, the general radon exposure tends to be low risk. The chloropleth map below is from the EPA website. The yellow, zone 3, counties have a predicted average indoor radon screening level of less than 2 pCi/L and a low potential of dangerous radon levels. But it is important to understand that any area, neighborhood, or home can be an exception to the area average.

Testing for radon in the home is easy and doesn’t have to go the route of expensive radon testing services. Both short-term and long-term home radon testing kits are available at most hardware stores.

Looking on-line, a short-term kit can be found for $9.98 and the longer sampling kit runs $27.99. These tests can be done sequentially.

When the results are 4 pCi/L or higher, the EPA recommends fixing the home. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs.

For more information, a terrific Citizen’s Guide to Radon is available from the EPA.

Marshall Kubota, MD