By Sharon Omahen

University of Georgia

Georgia is known for its granite, but this beautiful resource
also
may contain radon, a gas that kills more than 600 Georgians each
year.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United
States and the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. It is
an
invisible, odorless, radioactive gas that occurs naturally in
rock
and soil. It enters homes through cracks and other openings in
home
foundations.

“We have a lot of granite in Georgia and the likelihood of
having
trace uranium is very likely,” said Ginger Bennett, one of three
radon educators working through University of Georgia Cooperative
Extension.

Natural breakdown

Radon is a result of the natural breakdown of uranium in soil
and
rock. Uranium takes a long time to decay. Radon gas is one of the
last stages.

Through a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant,
complementary
radon test kits are available to Georgia homeowners from their
local Extension office. The kit comes with an envelope containing
activated charcoal. It should be hung for three days in the
lowest
occupied level of a home.

“There’s always going to be a higher reading closer to the
dirt,”
she said. “However, if you don’t spend any time in your basement,
don’t test there.”

After the envelope has hung for three full days, the test kit
should be mailed immediately to a laboratory because the
radioactive substance in it decays quickly. This will insure a
more
accurate result.

Within 10 days, the homeowner will receive a report via mail
or e-mail.

If high, test again

If the first test results show a high reading, a second test
is
recommended to get an average of the two.

“We provide a $6.99 coupon for the second test,” she said.

If the average results of the two tests are above 4 pCi/L,
the EPA
action level, the homeowner is provided with a booklet that
explains how to fix a radon problem and a list of certified
Georgia
mitigators. Mitigation involves the installation of a ventilation
system that will reduce radon concentration in the indoor air,
Bennett said.

“The system essentially sucks air from beneath the footprint
of the
home and vents it above the roof line,” she said. Current
average
cost for fixing a home for radon is around $1,800.

“That may sound expensive, but compared to the cost of a human
life, it’s not high,” Bennett said. “After all, how do you put a
value on a human life? And you have to think about the high cost
of
medical care for lung cancer.”

If you are building a new home, a passive mitigation system
can be
installed for $300 to $500.

The Georgia Radon Education Program is funded by the EPA in
partnership with the UGA College of Family and Consumer
Sciences, the
Pollution Prevention and Assistance Division of the Georgia
Department of Natural Resources and Southface Energy
Institute.

For more information on the radon education program, visit
www.gafamilies.com
/housing/radon. To order a free radon test kit
from your local county Extension office, call 1-800-ASK-UGA1.