January 13, 2025
El Paso County, CO – Winter is the best time to test your home for radon, the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reports that it causes 500 lung cancer deaths a year in Colorado alone.
Nearly 50 percent of Colorado homes have unhealthy levels of cancer-causing radon, a radioactive gas that has no color, odor or taste. In Colorado, the average indoor radon level is about 6.4 pCi/L. Living in a home with average levels of radon in Colorado is similar to having more than 200 chest X-rays taken every year. El Paso County has been designated as an area with high radon potential, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
January is National Radon Action Month, and El Paso County Public Health wants to remind the public that all homes, regardless of construction type or style, can have elevated radon levels. Because radon is invisible and odorless, the only way to know if your home has a high level of radon is to test.
“El Paso County Public Health recommends you test your home for radon regularly, even if you have tested in the past or have a radon mitigation system,” Duane Dominguez, air quality program manager for El Paso County Public Health, said. “Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and testing is the only way to know if your home has high levels. Although Colorado homes are prone to high radon levels, testing is easy and affordable. Winter is the best time to test your home because windows and doors are normally shut.”
Test kits are generally inexpensive to purchase, and homes and buildings showing high levels of radon can be mitigated with simple and affordable venting techniques. Programs do exist, however, to reduce the cost of testing and mitigation for those in need:
- CDPHE offers free and low-cost radon test kits. To learn more about radon, or how to use a test kit, watch our video. To find a test kit, visit cdphe.colorado.gov/testing-your-home-radon.
- CDPHE’s Low Income Radon Mitigation Assistance Program can assist those in need with the costs of radon mitigation systems. Visit the site to apply or for information about eligibility. For more information, the EPA recommends the following resources: National Radon Proficiency Program at www.nrpp.info and National Radon Safety Board at www.nrsb.org.
Those shopping for a radon test kit should look for kits marked “certified by the National Radon Proficiency Program.” The recommended action limit for radon is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). If your house tests higher than 4 pCi/L, you can find information about mitigation and how to choose a certified mitigation contractor at elpasocountyhealth.org/services/radon and cdphe.colorado.gov/hm/testing-your-home-radon. Homeowners who already have radon mitigation systems should retest their homes every few years to make sure the system is working properly. Tenants also have the right to test their homes for radon. Learn more at https://cdphe.colorado.gov/hm/testing-your-home-radon.
Radon results from the natural breakdown of uranium found in soils, rock, and water. Radon in Colorado is generated by the radioactive decay of radium, which is present in uranium-bearing soils found throughout the Rocky Mountains and the eastern plains.
For more information about radon testing, call (719) 578-3199 and select option 3, or visit elpasocountyhealth.org.
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