Rx for RADON:
• • •
Test, Retest, ACT
Because your home could contain high levels of radon
The following information is provided by the
New York State Department of Health
Your home could contain high levels of radon.
You live in one of 37 New York counties that have been designated as high radon risk areas by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New York State. Many of your neighbors have already tested their homes for radon. A large percentage of their test results indicate radon levels above EPA's maximum acceptable level for taking remedial action. If you haven't tested your home for radon, do it now.
High Radon Area Counties
| Albany Alleghany Broome Cattaraugus Cayuga Chatauqua Chemung Chenango Columbia Cortland Delaware Dutchess Erie |
Genesee Greene Herkimer Lewis Livingston Madison Monroe Oneida Onondaga Ontario Orange Otsego Putnam |
Rensselaer Schoharie Schuyler Steuben Tioga Tompkins Ulster Washington Wayne Wyoming Yates |
Radon may be a health risk for you and your family.
According to the EPA, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, resulting in an estimated 14,000 lung cancer deaths annually. And, radon greatly increases a smoker's risk of lung cancer.
| Radon Risk | ||
|---|---|---|
| Radon Level | If 1,000 people who smoked were exposed to this level over a lifetime… | If 1,000 people who never smoked were exposed to this level over a lifetime… |
| 20 pG/L | About 135 people could get lung cancer | About 8 people could get lung cancer |
| 4pG/L | About 29 people could get lung cancer | About 2 people could get lung cancer |
| 0.4pG/L | About 3 people could get lung cancer | Less than 1 person could get lung cancer |
Note: if you are a smoker and quit, you reduce your risk.
Any home can have elevated radon levels.
It doesn't matter if your home is old or new, or if it has a basement or is on a slab. Radon is a colorless and odorless radioactive gas that is produced naturally in the soil. Radon enters homes through cracks in slabs or basement floors and walls, and through openings around sump pumps.
You must test to find out if you have a radon problem.
Testing for radon is simple and inexpensive. Test kits can be purchased from the state Health Department, in many hardware stores or the hardware sections of discount outlets.
Don't put off testing.
You can test your home any time, although it's better to do so during the heating season when the home is less ventilated. The point is… the longer you wait, the longer you and your family are exposed to radon.
You can protect your family from radon.
If your home contains high levels of radon, there are things that can be done. There are trained professionals in all areas of the state who have met certain requirements, and can identify problems and make any necessary repairs.
Learn more about radon.
For more information about radon or radon testing, or to obtain the names of local radon repair specialists, call the state Health Department's Radon Program at 1-800-4458-1158.
