Radon seminars offered Thursday; high levels of deadly gas prevalent here

MONTROSE  — It’s called the silent killer because of its odorless and invisible presence. Radon moves up through the ground and can enter into any person’s home. Its radioactive particles can easily be inhaled and wreak havoc on sensitive lung tissue, causing possible death.

“It irradiates the lungs from the inside. ... (Radon) is a serious national health problem,” said Richard Thompson, environmental specialist for Montrose County Health and Human Services and Region 10.

Montrose County, along with most of Colorado, is considered a high radon area, with indoor screening levels grater than 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The national indoor average is about 1.3 pCi/L, with an outdoor level of about 0.4 pCi/L.

Though the EPA’s action threshold is 4 pCi/L, Thompson said Montrose County’s indoor average is 11.3.

Thompson has spent the last few months holding free presentations on radon because of its health danger. Radioactive particles, or radon decay products, stick to lung tissues when inhaled. High concentration and a long duration of exposure to these particles alter cells, increasing one’s risk for cancer.

Radon is categorized with tobacco as a leading cause of lung cancer.

“It’s not a question,” Thompson said. “It does cause cancer.”

Scientific studies on miners in uranium mines, along with ongoing studies on residential occupants and lab animals, have provided the proof, he said.

During the hour-long presentation, Thompson provides more information on the studies. He tells residents what they can do to prevent high exposure to radon. He also provides a free test kit that measures the level of radon in a home and helps determine if there needs to be mitigation.

The test kit, a product of Air Chek Inc., is easy to use. After reading instructions, the small tester is placed in a room of the home where the most time is spent.

After several days, the kit is mailed to a lab. Several days later, results return. If the results show a high concentration of radon, 4 pCi/L or above, there are several actions that can be taken.

Thompson first recommended conducting a follow-up test from either a repeat of the previous short-term test, or a long-term test.

Because radon enters from beneath the foundation and travels upward, “active soil depressurization” is one way of creating a vacuum beneath the foundation that collects the radon before it is able to move into the home. Thompson said residents have to remember that radon can travel through cracks and sealing the home alone is not enough.

Thompson goes into further detail on protecting residents from radon exposure during his presentation. It’s especially easy in new construction because there is no remodeling.

Thompson said radon mitigation is proven to work.

For  more information on radon, visit the EPA Web site at www.epa.gov/radon or talk to Thompson at MCHHS.

Thompson’s next presentation takes place Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. at Montrose Library, 320 S. Second St., and again at 5:30 p.m. at MCHHS, 1845 S. Townsend Ave.