Kansas Governor Proclaimed January as Kansas Radon Action Month

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Mid-winter has settled over the nation’s heartland, and there’s no better time to test for radon in homes and businesses than right now, said Bruce Snead, Extension residential energy specialist with Kansas State University’s Engineering Extension Service.

On Jan. 22, Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson proclaimed January as Kansas Radon Action Month.

In a statement, Parkinson and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) urged Kansans to protect families, students and educators, and business employees and customers by testing their homes, schools and work sites for radon, which is an odorless, invisible gas.

“Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the first for people who have never smoked,” said Roderick L. Bremby, secretary of KDHE, in the statement. “The good news is that prolonged exposure to high concentrations of radon can be prevented.”

Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that can emanate from soil and become a health hazard when concentrated inside a home, school, business or other structure. More than 200 lung cancer deaths per year in Kansas may be linked to indoor radon. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor radon contributes to 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States each year. Exposure causes no immediate symptoms, and often goes unrecognized until serious health complications arise, according to the KDHE statement.

KDHE stated that about one out of every three radon measurements performed in Kansas are elevated, being above 4 pCi/l (picoCuries per liter). Some areas have higher levels than others, but elevated levels of radon have been detected in every county in the state. As many as one in 15 U.S. homes has elevated radon levels that often go undetected.

Topeka, Manhattan and Lawrence building codes require new homes to be built using radon-resistant techniques, and additional cities in Kansas are considering this modification to their building codes, according to KDHE.

K-State’s Snead said that radon test kits are available at county K-State Research and Extension offices in Kansas, as well as at local hardware and builder’s supply stores. Kansans can find the location of their closest K-State Research and Extension office online at www.ksre.ksu.edu (click on the map for the appropriate county).

Test results showing high levels can usually be fixed with simple and affordable venting techniques, Snead said. Homeowners should talk with a certified radon contractor if levels above 4 pCi/l are detected.

A list of certified radon contractors is available by calling the Kansas Radon Hotline at 800-693-KDHE (800-693-5343). Additional information about radon is available online at www.kansasradonprogram.org, www.epa.gov/radon and on the K-State Engineering Extension Service site: www.engg.ksu.edu/.

More general information about emergency preparedness and disaster recovery is available on the Web at K-State Research and Extension’s emergency preparedness site, www.kseden.ksu.edu; the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at  www.kdheks.gov; and the Kansas Department of Emergency Management at www.ks.gov/kdem. 

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