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- January 15, 2007

Radon: Can you tell it's there?


From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

You can't see it, smell it or taste it, but radon is blamed for about 20,000 lung cancer deaths a year. Radon seeps into buildings – homes, for instance – as a radioactive gas. It can get trapped, and build up.

Nearly 80 percent of U.S. homes have not been tested for radon. So the U.S. Surgeon General's Office and the Environmental Protection Agency call on people to find out.

Acting Surgeon General Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu:

"You can check your home yourself, with an inexpensive test kit, or you can hire an expert to come to your home to do it for you. Test your home. Protect your family." (9 seconds)

If you find radon, you may need an expert to help you fix the problem. State radon offices have lists of experts.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: January, 18 2007