Archives

May 2006

The ABC's of Radon in Illinois

Posted at ,

The ABC’s of Radon in Illinois

Test Your Home Today

Test your home for radon today. Radon, an indoor air pollutant, is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas. Radon comes from naturally occurring uranium in the soil. The only way to tell how much radon you have in your house is to TEST.

BE AWARE

 The USEPA estimates that approximately 13% of lung cancer deaths are radon related. The remaining 87% of lung cancer deaths are related to smoking. The USEPA has also concluded that smokers are at higher risk from radon. The USEPA recommends that indoor radon levels be below 4 picocuries per liter of air.

Do You Know Where Radon Comes From?

Most radon enters a home because of air pressure and temperature differences between the home and the outside air. When air is vented from buildings by natural or powered ventilation, radon and other soil gases are drawn in from the surrounding soil through openings between the house and the soil.

Elevated radon levels have been found throughout Illinois which is made up of 3 zones. Lake and Cook Counties are in zone 2 where Moderate to High levels of Radon can be found. People residing in zone 2 and zone 3 may tend to dismiss radon as a health risk. But, elevated radon levels (4.0 pCi/L or more) occur in these areas just as they do in zone 1. Don’t be fooled. Test for radon. The only way your family can know whether you have an elevated radon level is to test for it.

Where Do You Obtain Kits?

• Kits may be available at your county health department, local extension office, hardware store, or home improvement store. • Call the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA)-Division of Nuclear Safety Radon Program at 1-800-325-1245 for a list of laboratories that sell radon kits, or visit our website at www.state.il.us/iema. • IEMA also has a list of measurement professionals who can test for you. For consumer protection, the Radon Industry Licensing Act (RILA) requires measurement professionals who test for radon and mitigation professionals who reduce radon in structures to be licensed by IEMA.

 If your home has elevated radon, IEMA has a list of licensed radon reduction contractors (mitigators) who can fix your radon problem. IEMA recommends hiring a licensed mitigator because they have the proper equipment, specialized training and technical skills needed. Using a professional can offer peace of mind. Don’t let radon be a problem in your house.

Where Do You Get Information About Radon?

Courtesy of:  The Illinois Emergency Management Agency-Division of Nuclear Safety Radon Program, 1035 Outer Park Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62704, Radon Information Line:1-800-325-1245 and at www.state.il.us/iema