Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in those who do smoke – and that’s why Hopewell Township residents are being urged to test their homes for the invisible, odorless gas.
Hopewell Township is known to have high levels of radon in many areas, but there are no reliable trends as to where those areas are located, Hopewell Township officials said. One house may be affected, but not the house next door.
To test for radon gas, the Hopewell Township Health Department has radon test kits available for sale for $20 at the Hopewell Township municipal complex at 201 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road. The payment covers the cost of the analysis, and the results are provided only to the property owner.
Radon, which is a radioactive gas, occurs when uranium and radium break down in the soil and rock formations. It forms radon gas, which moves up through the soil and into houses through foundation cracks and openings around pipes, pumps and drains.
Radon is measured in picoCuries per liter of air. There is no safe level of radon, but the risk for developing lung cancer rises dramatically when the level of radon in the home exceeds 4 picoCuries per liter. The average level in an American home is 1.3 picoCuries.
When the level of radon meets or exceeds 4 picoCuries, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection recommend that steps be taken to reduce radon levels. State-certified mitigation companies can be hired to install mitigation systems.
The radon testing device that comes with the radon testing kit should be placed in the lowest livable area of the house – a first floor without a basement, or a finished or unfinished basement, but not a crawl space. It needs to be placed in an area where it will not be disturbed.
The testing device must be at least 20 inches off the floor, at least 4 inches away from other objects and at least 36 inches away from doors, windows or other openings to the outside. It only has to be placed 12 inches away from an exterior wall if there is no opening or window in the wall.
It should not be placed in areas exposed to direct sunlight, drafts or high heat or high humidity. It should not be placed in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room or closets. Ventilation can affect the test results.
Lung cancer is the only known health effect directly linked to radon exposure. In New Jersey, as many as 140 to 250 lung cancer deaths of the annual 4,700 lung cancers deaths in the state may be attributable to radon exposure, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.