Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 21, 1993 TAG: 9310210267
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
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 or gaps around pipes.
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.
In Tazewell County, 60 percent of the homes tested had levels above what EPA considers safe.
TV commercials, radio spots and other publicity 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. 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 Roanoke'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.
Results are "spotty throughout Roanoke," Hoover said. "There's not any real pocket area."
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 cause of cancer.
But unlike other health risks, radon can be detected and deterred.
Newer homes may be 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