It is a common belief that if you don’t smoke, you won’t get lung cancer in
your life. However, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after
cigarette smoke and it could be in your home. Dr. Wallace L. Akerly with the
Huntsman Cancer Institute and Christine Keyser, Indoor Radon Program
Coordinator, explain what radon is and how you can keep it out of your home.
Thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths annually in the United States are
attributable to indoor residential exposure to radon. Either smoking or radon
exposure can independently increase the risk of lung cancer. However,
exposure to both greatly enhances that risk.
The only way to know if radon is a problem in your home is to test for it.
There are many kinds of low cost “do-it-yourself” radon test kits which may
be ordered online or purchased from hardware stores and other retail outlets.
Be sure the test is marked “Meets EPA Requirements.”
To order a test kit online or to hire an EPA-qualified radon tester, go to: www.radon.utah.gov you may also
contact the Division of Radiation Control at 801-536-4250 or 1-800-458-
0145.
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