Radon Safety

You can’t see, smell, or taste radon gas. But it may be a problem in your home. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. In the United States, 21,000 people die each year from radon-induced lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than 70 percent of Tennessee’s population lives in high risk and moderate risk radon areas (nearly 50 percent of the population lives in high risk radon areas). It is important for everyone in Tennessee to test their homes for radon. 

Radon enters homes through the foundation. Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in the lungs when you breathe. As they break down further, these particles release small bursts of energy. This can damage lung tissue and eventually lead to lung cancer. Not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer, and the amount of time between exposure and the onset of the disease may be many years. The higher the radon level, the greater the risk of developing lung cancer. 

Daily exposure at 4 picocuries (pCi/L) of radon is the same as smoking half a pack of cigarettes each day. One year’s exposure to 10 pCi/L of radon equates to having 500 chest x-rays each year.

The Tennessee Radon Program has a limited number of free radon test kits available. Call the Radon Hotline at 1-800-232-1139 for more information.