Radon: An invisible killer

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - The Environmental Protection Agency has named January "National Radon Action Month." It is a time for world and local health organizations to raise awareness of the radioactive gas responsible for 20,000 deaths every year.

Radon is an odorless, invisible gas that is created naturally underground and that can seep into homes. People who breathe in radon can develop lung cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in smokers and the leading cause in non-smokers.

Homes at greater risk include those with basements, crawl-spaces and homes on slabs with cracked foundations.

Dave Fiess, Director of Allen County's Vector Control with the health department says homes in northeast Indiana top the list for high risk levels throughout the country.

"Not too many people are aware of [radon]... It is a year around threat that people should be concerned about," Fiess said.

To test your house, there are simple do-it-yourself kits that can gather information in a matter of days or you can hire a certified inspector. If you home has a high level of radon, you can have a mitigation system installed that involves a series of pipes under your house.

"A pipe [runs] up the outside [of the house] and there is a fan that is supposed to suck that gas out from underneath... it puts it out in the atmosphere so it cannot affect people living in the house," Fiess said.

Do-it-yourself kits are inexpensive and available at most hardware stores. The Allen County health department also offers them for free at its downtown location on the 5th floor of the City-County Building and at its Vector Control site at 2242 Carroll Road.

For more information on the risks of radon, click here.