There could be danger lurking in your home.
Radon gas is invisible and odorless, but it’s the second-leading cause of lung cancer. Health officials say a radon level of four picoliters is comparable to smoking eight cigarettes a day.
Radon can come through cracks in your basement, and even up through your water faucets or shower heads if you have well or spring water.
“If you had your house tested in the past, it is recommended to have it tested every couple years again just in case there are some cracks that have formed in your foundation or in your slab of your home,” said Rich Lucas of the Belmont County Health Department. “Radon is a radioactive gas from breakdown of uranium breaks down in the ground and the gas is emitted and it comes up through the surface of the ground.”
You can log on to the Ohio Department of Health’s website, odh.ohio.gov, and fill out an online form — and if your household income is less than $80,000 a year, you can receive a free radon test kit. If you don’t qualify, radon test kits are available in most home improvement stores for about $15.
Just leave them set up for 48 to 96 hours and you will have an answer. If you do have elevated levels, it can be corrected by a qualified contractor.
