US EPA

1426598 

Technical Report 

Citizen's guide to radon: The guide to protecting yourself and your family from radon, January 2009 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency :: U.S. EPA 

2009 

EPA 402/K-09/001 

16 

English 

has other version or edition 2223199 A citizen's guide to Radon: The guide to protecting yourself and your family from Radon

You cant see radon. And you cant smell it or taste it. But it may be a problem in your home. Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year. Thats because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of buildinghomes, offices, and schoolsand result in a high indoor radon level. But you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time. Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. EPA also recommends testing in schools. Testing is inexpensive and easyit should only take a few minutes of your time. Millions of Americans have already tested their homes for radon (see page 5). 

Radon; *Citizen guide; Radioactive gas; Testing; Reduction systems 

PB2012104186