Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. It is odorless, tasteless, invisible and produced from the natural radioactive decay of uranium in rocks and soil.
Radon can get into homes and buildings through small cracks or holes and build up in the air. Over time, breathing in high levels of radon can cause lung cancer. Radon is considered harmless in the open air but can be problematic if it gets trapped in homes.
​
Testing is the only way to know your level of exposure.
Radon is a carcinogen that manifests over time
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and is responsible for 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year.
The EPA Radon Action Continuum consists of four levels of action to reduce the risk of radon exposure.
​
Essex County is a Zone 1 rating. It is expected that the average indoor screening level is greater than the action limit of 4 pCi/L - the equivalent of 200 chest X-rays a year or 8-cigarettes a day!
Radon causes more
deaths than
Carbon Monoxide
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, radon causes 100 times more deaths than carbon monoxide poisoning.
