The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in a nationwide campaign to educate Americans about the dangers of radon exposure.
January is National Radon Action Month, and the DEQ encourages Oklahomans to take action to protect their homes and families.
Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that arises from the breakdown of uranium inside the earth. Radon is dispersed in outdoor air but can reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings. Exposure to elevated levels of radon can cause lung cancer.
The EPA estimates that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths annually. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers.
Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple and free. EPA estimates that one in every 15 homes nationwide has a high radon level at or above the recommended radon action level of 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) of air.
The DEQ encourages Oklahomans to test their homes for radon. For a free test kit, visit https://states.aelabs. com/#/ok.
https://states.aelabs