METRO DETROIT (WXYZ) — Health experts are urging families to pay attention to a danger you can't see, smell, or taste.
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can build up inside homes, and it's the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association. With January marking Radon Awareness Month, health officials say testing is simple and could save your life.
Watch Meghan's report in the video player below
Radon is a gas that forms naturally in the ground, released as Uranium in soil and rock. From there, it can seep through foundations, cracks, and basements, building up inside homes.
"That radioactive material makes its way up, goes through a process of decay. By the time it gets to us, it's usually radon gas as we know it," said Sam Goode, the owner of Crawlspace Remediation and Radon Control Services.
The only way to know your levels is to test.
"There are great at-home kits, and then there's also, there's more and more developing technology with WiFi devices that you can just set, kind of forget in your basement, (and it) reports back to your phone," Goode said.
You can't see it, you can't smell it, and the health complications don't present themselves until it's too late. That's why Goode says it's important to have your home tested regularly.
"Your neighbor could have it and you could not," he said.
Levels can change with weather, seasons and air pressure, which is why experts say testing shouldn't be a one-time screening.
"I would recommend every 2 years having it professionally tested if you do not have a Wi Fi monitor of some sort," Goode said.
For homeowner Dave Tremblay, it was a conversation with a neighbor that prompted him to check.
"He came over and said his was over the recommended maximum, right?" Tremblay said. "And so I borrowed his meter, and sure enough, we were kind of like right on the border."
When levels come back high, fixes can range from simple venting systems to more involved repairs, depending on your home.
Ours was a little more involved because the area of our sump was finished off, with paneling and whatnot," Tremblay said.
Sam tells me that testing your home every two years should be standard. But above all, the most important way to mitigate risk is education.
"I think the most important thing is awareness, right?" he said. "A lot of people have not heard of radon gas yet, and that it's the second leading cause of lung cancer."
Test kits can cost as little as $10, and many health departments offer them for free during Radon Awareness Month.
