Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 20, 1993 TAG: 9310200029
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But if you haven't tested your home for radon, you may be exposed to the second-leading cause of the disease.
This is National Radon Awareness Week, and local affiliates of the American Lung Association are urging people to find out about radon risks and test their homes.
Radon is a radioactive gas formed by the natural decay of uranium in soil and rock. It's invisible and odorless, and it seeps into homes and buildings through cracks in the foundation and walls or through gaps around pipes, sumps and drains.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regards radon as one of the most serious environmental threats to public health. The agency estimates that radon causes between 7,000 and 30,000 cases of lung cancer yearly.
Because of its geology, Southwest Virginia is more radon-prone than other regions in the state. Independent studies by EPA and the state Health Department show that 10 percent to 12 percent of Virginia's homes have excessive levels of radon. The majority were west of Interstate 95, in the Piedmont and mountainous regions.
In Tazewell County, 60 percent of the homes tested had levels above what EPA considers safe.
TV commercials, radio spots and other publicity in recent weeks have brought brisk business to home inspectors.
The folks at Home Paramount Pest Control usually get only a handful of requests for tests every year, said Angela Neel.
In the past couple of weeks, half a dozen people have called the company for tests.
"It's really been picking up," Neel said. Both home buyers and sellers are requesting the tests. So far, all of the tests have come back with radon readings well below the recommended safe level, she said.
Steve Hoover is a partner in MKB Inc., one of the Roanoke Valley's largest real estate companies. Radon testing is a standard offering in contracts these days, he said, and almost all home buyers plunk down the $50 or so for a basic, short-term test. Tests can range from a couple of days to a year long.
Results are "spotty throughout Roanoke," Hoover said. "There's not any real pocket area."
Hoover believes that the radon issue, like Alar pesticide on apples a few years back, has been overblown. While there is a health risk with high levels, he said, the EPA limit is extremely low - about the same as being exposed to smoke from half a cigarette a month.
In a recent Roper survey, scientists with the American Association for Cancer Research rated radon as a minor risk - when compared with tobacco, sunlight, asbestos and diet - as an environmental cause of cancer.
But unlike other health risks, radon can be detected and deterred.
Homeowners can seal cracks and plug holes inexpensively. For bigger problems, they can install air pumps in a space below the basement floor. In this area, Hoover said, such systems cost $800 to $1,500.
Newer homes may be more prone to higher levels of the gas, because they are built tighter, Hoover said.
For more information about radon and radon testing, call (800) 468-0138 or the Roanoke Region of the American Lung Association of Virginia at 362-LUNG.
by CNB