Find Out if Your Home has Radon

This is Radon Action Week. The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Radon Education Program is encouraging Reno / Tahoe area residents to test their homes for this potentially lethal hazard. Radon is a naturally occuring radioactive gas that comes from decaying uranium. It is the leading cause of lung cancer, second only to smoking.

Chances are you have some level of radon seeping into your house since Reno / Tahoe is one of those places with higher than average radon levels. The radon hazard here can be especially acute during the winter months when we button up our houses against the cold. Smokers are obviously at high risk if they live in a radon-rich environment. With their smaller lungs and higher breathing rates, children are especially susceptible as well.

Since radon is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, you must test to find out if radon is lurking in your home. Free radon test kits are available from the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension for residents of Washoe, Douglas, Carson City, Clark, Nye, and Lincoln Counties. Should your home prove to have elevated radon levels, there are a variety of mitigation measures you can take to eliminate the hazard. Getting rid of radon isn't free, but it's a bargain compared to lung cancer.

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