The Guam Environmental Protection Agency (Guam EPA) today announced January as National Radon Action month and encouraged residents to have their homes tested for radon.
Guam EPA reminds residents that testing their home for radon is a free service provided by the Agency. Radon testing helps homeowners determine if their home has elevated levels of the radioactive gas. It is estimated that radon causes many thousands of death from lung cancer every year.
"Radon has been found in many homes on Guam and we encourage everyone to have their home tested for free," said Lorilee T. Crisostomo, administrator of Guam EPA. "As part of Radon Action Month we are preparing workshops, demonstrations and other outreach activities that will be announced later."
Radon has no color, odor, or taste. It is a radioactive, inert, noble gas. It is generated in rock and soil, and then creeps through cracks or spaces between soil particles and into the outside air.
While concentrations of radon outside are typically low and not harmful, it can seep into buildings through foundation cracks or openings and build up to a much higher concentration indoors if the sources are large enough.
Prolonged exposure to radon can increase the potential for lung cancer. It is believed that radon causes approximately 14,000 to 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States.
U.S. EPA estimates that the national average indoor radon level in mainland homes is about 1.3 picoCuries per liter (pCi/l) of air. EPA also estimates that about 1 in 15 homes nationwide have levels at or above the level of 4 pCi/l. Surveys on Guam indicate that approximately 27 percent of the homes on island are in excess of 4 pCi/l.
To obtain a free radon testing canister or for more information about radon on Guam, contact Guam EPA's Air Pollution Control Program at 475-1671.
To learn more about radon visit U.S. EPA's Web site.
