DEQ did have radon testers in the past which it used to test various sites. The results showed a low level of radon gas leaks. Since then, radon testers have been unavailable in the CNMI.
Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that seeps out of the ground and can enter homes and other buildings.
Since radon is invisible and odorless, the only way to know if a home has dangerous levels of the gas is to conduct a radon test.
Radon problems have been found in every county in the U.S. so the surgeon general is recommending that all homes are tested.
Radon causes lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 21,000 Americans die each year from radon-induced lung cancer. This makes it the second leading cause of lung cancer following smoking.
Radon’s primary hazard is caused from inhalation of the gas and its highly radioactive heavy metallic decay products (polonium, lead and bismuth) which tend to collect on dust in the air. The problem arises when these elements stick to the delicate cells lining the passageways leading into the lungs.
The World Health Organization and the EPA have urged Americans to test their homes for radon gas.
The EPA has designated January 2011 as National Radon Action Month in the United States.
The EPA estimates that as many as 8 million homes in the United States have elevated levels of radon gas. The agency predicts that if action is not taken to correct this problem, between 15,000 and 22,000 deaths will occur from 2011 from exposure to the gas. This is a health threat of epidemic proportions that needs immediate attention, the EPA stated.
Radon causes more deaths each year in the U.S. than any other home hazard including fires and carbon monoxide deaths combined. For more information about radon gas visit the National Radon Month website:
www.radonmonth.wordpress.com
