January is Radon Action Month, and the Minnesota Department of Health and Wright County Public Health are taking the opportunity to promote additional awareness to radon.
Dan Tranter is the Supervisor of the Indoor Air Unit with the Minnesota Department of Health. He says radon is easy to overlook because it’s odorless, colorless and tasteless…
“Radon is a carcinogen and causes lung cancer. It’s a naturally occurring soil gas, it floats up through the soil and leaches under our buildings and enters our buildings through gaps, cracks and openings, and then it can build up to high concentrations in the indoor air in our homes and other buildings. If you breathe it over time, and depending on the concentration it could be months if the levels are high, or years if the levels are lower. As you breathe it in, it damages your lung tissue. That damage, if not repaired properly, can lead to lung cancer. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.”
Tranter says our part of the country has a higher frequency of high radon levels, and the winter season sees radon levels at 25 percent higher concentrations than the rest of the year…
“Minnesota does have higher radon levels than most states. We estimate two in five Minnesota homes have high radon. So about 40 percent. Nationally the rate of higher radon in homes is about seven percent.”
Laura Walter with Wright County Public Health says homes in our area are even more susceptible to higher radon levels…
“Wright County actually has a little bit higher risk. As Dan mentioned, 2 in 5 Minnesota homes, but Wright County, 2 in 4, or about 47 percent of those tested in the time period when they were collecting this data.”
Again this year, Wright County is selling low cost radon test kits both at the County Government Center, and on the Wellness on Wheels Van visits. Officials say radon tests are reliable and easy-to-use. If higher radon levels are detected, a mitigation system can be installed in your home to mitigate the danger.
