Agency wants to bring attention to the importance of radon awareness
LANSING, Mich. — Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the environment and can cause serious adverse health effects in those who are exposed to it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared January as National Radon Action Month. This is an effort to raise radon awareness in both home and business owners.
While smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer in adults, exposure to radon is the most common cause of this disease in people who do not smoke tobacco products. People who smoke and are exposed to radon at home or work have the highest risk of developing lung cancer. Radon awareness is important because this gas often goes undetected because it is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. If radon is present, it can enter homes through gaps in construction joints, cracks in the foundation, open areas around ill-fitting pipes, and in the water supply.