January is National Radon Action Month. Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas produced by the natural decay of uranium found in nearly all soil. It seeps into houses through cracks in foundations, crawl spaces and even through well water, accumulating indoors without any telltale smell or taste.
Long-term radon exposure can be deadly. Radon is the nation’s second-leading cause of lung cancer (after cigarette smoking) and the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Nationwide, an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year are linked to radon. In Colorado alone, radon exposure is believed to contribute to more than 500 lung cancer deaths annually.
Southwest Colorado’s geology puts local homes at higher risk for elevated radon levels than the national average. State data show radon is found at high levels in roughly one out of every two Colorado homes. If you live in La Plata County, there’s essentially a 50-50 chance your home will test above health and safety standards for radon.
EPA guidelines advise homeowners to install mitigation systems if indoor radon levels exceed 4.0 picocuries per liter, as reducing concentrations can dramatically cut the health risk. The average radon reading in La Plata County homes is about 5.5 pCi/L.
It’s a known carcinogen, but the good news is these deaths are preventable.
Testing is the only way to detect radon, and fortunately, testing is easy, and mitigation is often simpler and cheaper than many home repairs. Understanding your home’s radon levels is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your family’s health.
Winter is considered the ideal time for a radon check because homes are closed up with limited ventilation, allowing radon levels to be measured accurately. Closed-up houses during cold weather can lead to higher radon readings, so it’s the best time to find out if you have an issue.
Through La Plata County’s Healthy Homes program, free do-it-yourself radon test kits are available for county homeowners. Residents can pick up a kit at the public health office in Durango, where a brief three-minute instructional video is provided to ensure proper use. The kit is left open in the home for a few days to absorb air samples, then mailed to a lab for analysis.
Results typically come back within a week or two, indicating the home’s radon level in pCi/L. If high levels are found, the program offers guidance on next steps, from confirming results with long-term testing to finding certified radon-mitigation contractors.
If a home does test high, fixing it is usually straightforward. Radon mitigation typically involves installing a vent system to draw the gas from beneath the house and release it safely above the roofline. A radon mitigation system often costs less than a major home repair and can literally save your life. Reducing radon is a critical part of making homes healthier overall, alongside tackling issues like mold, indoor smoke and other pollutants.
As January’s Radon Action Month shines a spotlight on this silent killer, La Plata County’s Healthy Homes program is working to ensure every resident’s home is a safe haven. By finding and fixing radon problems now, our community can prevent future lung cancer cases and ease the long-term burden on health care systems.
For more information or to pick up a free radon test kit, contact La Plata County Public Health’s Healthy Homes program at 828-8832 or visit the department office during business hours.
Madison Page is an environmental health specialist with the Healthy Homes program.
