Save a life: test your home for radon

It’s the end of October, so it’s time to make sure your house is not haunted…by radon.

National Radon Action Week used to be the third week of October, but I learned this morning it’s now in January! Regardless, we’re starting to spend more time inside, so it’s worth addressing now.

Radon is a radioactive element that is released from the bedrock below houses. It’s the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, accounting for 21,000 deaths per year! If you’re in Portland like Interior Medicine is, Oregon (and Multnomah County in particular) are major hot spots for radon.

If you haven’t checked your home since you moved in, it’s time. The American Lung Association recommends testing every 2 years, and has free resources or easy-to-access kits here. You can get a short or longer term kit at your hardware store for around $15. Or, you can get a continuous monitor for the most accurate, year-round levels. That’s what I do, since I’m in the red zone.

Whatever you choose, test! You can literally save a life. Thanks for reading what is (probably) my nerdiest post to date. Read more about radon here. Check your risk level here.