The words "lung cancer" conjure up a variety of images in the minds of those who hear them. Perhaps the most prevalent are those of the anti-smoking campaigns waged by public health advocates. But there is another, invisible killer associated with the disease.
In honor of national Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place each November, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency is seeking to bring to light the lung cancer dangers associated with radon gas.
According to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, more than 1,100 residents in Illinois die each year from lung cancer caused by the gas, which comes from the natural decay process of uranium in the soil. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the country, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
It can enter the home through foundation fissures, sump pumps and soil in crawlspaces. The state agency encouraged all Illinois residents to test their homes for radon through a professional testing service or through home kits available to the public.
A 2006 Illinois Emergency Management Agency report revealed that almost half of the 22,000 homes tested by professional radon measurement services statewide had levels of radon that could potentially be considered dangerous.
Free test kits are available through the agency, and so far, more than 100,000 of them have been distributed across the state. People who identify a dangerous level of radon in their home should contact a state-licensed radon mitigation service, which can work to reduce the amount of radon present to an acceptable level.
Homeowners can obtain the free kits by visiting the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Web site at www.radon.illinois.gov or by calling the radon hotline at 1-800-325-1245. More information about radon, its dangers and lists of local resources are also available on the Web site. The University of Illinois Extension also offers a radon resource Web site at www.takeactiononradon.uiuc.edu.