4 in 10 Pennsylvania homes have high radon levels, DEP says
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- It's the No. 2 cause (behind smoking) of lung cancer, and it's a problem in 40% of Pennsylvania homes, yet health leaders say a lot of people aren't aware of radon gas.
"Unfortunately, I still get phone calls, and my staff still gets phone calls, 'Oh, I've never heard of radon' and 'I didn't know it was in my area," said Bob Lewis, radon manager for Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Jackie Nixon of Allegheny County was one of those people until she was diagnosed with lung cancer despite not being a smoker. She survived and has taken up the cause of making others aware, including by starring in a DEP video.
"My charge to each and every one of you is to test your homes, your schools and your buildings for radon," Nixon said.
January is National Radon Action Month. Radon gas, which enters homes from the soil under them, is a danger throughout the year and throughout the country. But health and environmental leaders say indoor levels in cold climates tend to be higher in the winter, when windows are closed, which also makes this a particularly good time to test for the gas.
And the threat is higher in Pennsylvania than elsewhere. Why?
"Geology is primarily the driving force," Lewis said. "Pennsylvania just has slightly higher amounts of uranium and thorium in the ground, which are the initial precursors to the radon gas itself."
He said Pennsylvania's climate, which keeps soil moist, contributes too.
DEP has radon resources, including tips for testing, on its website. Radon test kits cost between $20 and $30 and are available at hardware stores, or you can hire a certified tester.
If a home has high levels of radon, DEP says radon mitigation typically involves a ventilation system, which DEP says can cost between $800 and $1,200. The agency maintains a list of certified testers, mitigators and laboratories.
Unlike other threats, such as lead, the age of a home doesn't necessarily contribute to its risk of high radon levels. But Dr. Denise Johnson, Pennsylvania's physician general and acting secretary of health, said indirectly, longtime homeowners could be at greater risk.
"In Pennsylvania when people are buying a new house, they'll get radon testing done" as part of the inspection process, Johnson said. "But people who have been in their homes for a long time may not even consider radon."
Similarly, renters – who are less likely to have performed a thorough inspection before moving into their homes – could be at greater risk than recent homebuyers.
Nixon, who is on the board of a national advocacy organization, said not only was she not a smoker, but she led a particularly healthy lifestyle including regular exercise, such as jogging.
Another active nonsmoker who developed lung cancer – in her case stage-four lung cancer, requiring the removal of part of a lung and multiple lymph nodes: Rachael Drazan Malberg, a former Olympic-level Team USA women's hockey player.
"When I got diagnosed, it was not only disbelief but how was it possible?" Malberg told CBS Minneapolis. "I didn't know."
Malberg advocates for testing by school districts and says the cost of mitigation is far cheaper than the cost of treating lung cancer, not to mention the incalculable cost of losing loved ones.