Jasper County Board of Health is encouraging local residents to take a simple and affordable step to test their home for harmful levels of radon gas.
Radon is an invisible, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. It causes no immediate symptoms but is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and kills more than 21,000 people each year in the United States.
Nearly one of every 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels. Iowa has the highest percentage of homes with elevated levels of radon gas in the United States. Over the past 20 years, 51 percent of Jasper County homes tested for radon gas have had levels over the recommended EPA guidelines. Here are a few things to do:
• Test — EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes, both with and without basements, be tested for radon.
• Fix — EPA recommends taking action to fix radon levels above 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Addressing high radon levels often cost the same as minor home repairs.
• Save a life — By testing and fixing elevated levels of radon in your home, you can help prevent lung cancer and create a healthier home and community.
Radon can enter a home through cracks in the foundation or other openings such as a sump pump. Although radon can enter a home through the water supply, entry through the soil is a much larger risk. Radon in a home’s water system is more likely when the home has a ground water sources — such as a private well or public water supply system that uses ground water.
In addition to testing for radon, there now are safer and healthier radon-resistant construction techniques that home buyers can discuss with builders to prevent this health hazard.
Jasper County Board of Health is now offering do-it-yourself radon kits for homeowners. Two different kits are available. The short term kit is $5, and the long term kit is $20. This includes lab testing with results being sent to the homeowner. For more information contact Jasper County Environmental Health Department at (641) 792-7603.