L. Tammy Duckworth is coordinating the project through the NIU School of Nursing Center for Nursing Research. Kishwaukee Community Hospital is providing the funding for this project. It is the first-ever radon measurement program of more than 500 homes in a single U.S. county. The 810 rural and urban homes will be selected randomly from a geographic area believed to have high radon levels.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas produced as a result of radium decay.
In its decayed state, radon can be inhaled into the lungs and possibly cause lung damage and cancer. DeKalb County homes make good radon case studies because they are in a region rated by the EPA as exceeding maximum safe radon emission levels, Duckworth said. Residents who agree to the free testing will receive two radon test kits with detailed instructions on how to use them. These are simple devices that only need to be hung up in the home and then taken down after four days. Homeowners will have complete anonymity during and after the free testing.