January is Radon Awareness Month
By: Leigh Allen Guth
Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent
NC Cooperative Extension Service, Lincoln County



What could be lurking inside your home that kills more people annually than drunk driving? Radon. Tasteless and odorless, radon is a radioactive gas that is naturally produced as uranium in the soil breaks down. In North Carolina, 7% of homes have elevated radon levels. The highest levels are typically found in the mountains and lower levels at the coast. Lincoln County is right in the middle with several areas in the county having unsafe concentrations.

Present outdoors at minimum levels, radon poses the most concern when concentrated inside the home. A home, because its air pressure is usually lower than the pressure in the soil around its foundation, acts as a vacuum pulling radon gas through foundation cracks and other openings. Radioactive radon particles settle in the lungs and damage sensitive tissues. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non smokers and kills approximately 21,000 people annually. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends all homes be tested.

Free short term tests are available at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension office (704-736-8461) and through the NC Radon Program (919-571-4141). These short term tests show the radon levels in the home during a 2 to 7 day period. The test consists of a charcoal canister in a small envelope about the size of a man’s wallet. Placed in the lowest level of the home that is used regularly, the test must be undisturbed and placed away from drafts. After the test period, the envelope is sealed and mailed to a lab. The postage is already paid. Individuals will be notified of the results in a few weeks.
If there is an elevated level of radon (4pCi/L picocuries per liter of air) in the home, residents should consult a certified radon mitigation contractor for help to reduce the levels. Elevated radon levels can be found in all types of houses – old and new, slab or basement. Homes in a neighborhood can vary greatly. High radon levels can be reduced to acceptable levels. Some radon reduction systems are as simple as sealing cracks in the foundation, while other homes may warrant a system that removes radon from below the home’s foundation before it can enter the home.

For further information on radon, contact:
NC Cooperative Extension at 704-736-8461; http://lincoln.ces.ncsu.edu/; or at 115 W. Main Street, Lincolnton, NC 28092
NC Radiation Protection at 919-571-4141; www.ncradon.org; or 1645 Mail Service Ctr., Raleigh, NC 27699-1645
Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse at 1-800-438-4318; or iaqinfo@aol.com
Environmental Protection Agency at 202-343-9370; http://www.epa.gov/radon/

Please contact me with your questions, ideas, comments and concerns by email, Leigh_Guth@ncsu.edu, or telephone at 704-736-8461. It is my privilege to serve through the NC Cooperative Extension Service.