Radon
- Radon has no color, odor or taste and doesn't cause short-term symptoms of illness.
- Radon causes cancer.
- It's estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States.
- It's the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, according to the surgeon general.
- Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths.
Radon in Colorado
- Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in the soil.
- It's a gas that moves up through the soil to the atmosphere.
- High radon levels have been found in all 50 states and in all parts of Colorado.
- In Colorado, about half the homes have radon levels higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended action level of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L):
How radon gets into your home
- Radon moves from uranium-bearing granite deposits in the soil to the atmosphere.
- Your home sits on radon's pathway from the soil to the atmosphere.
- Your home is usually warmer and has lower air pressure than the surrounding soil, so gases in the soil, including radon, move into your home.
- The most common routes are:
- Spaces between basement walls and the slab.
- Cracks in foundations and/or walls.
- Openings around sump pumps and drains.
- Construction joints and plumbing penetrations.
- Crawl spaces.
- Well water with high radon concentrations.
- The age and/or type of home doesn't matter when it comes to whether high levels of radon are present.
Radon in schools
- Schools are at risk from radon just like homes.
- Colorado regulations require all schools and child care facilities to test for radon and to maintain records of the test results for disclosure on request.
- The regulations don't require schools or child care facilities to mitigate, so it’s up to the school district or child care facility and its constituents to address mitigation issues.