The report represents the academy's most thorough analysis to date of the human health effects of indoor radon. It concludes that radon causes over 15,000 lung cancer deaths across the country each year. High concentrations of radon have been measured in all parts of Ohio. Radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that comes from uranium that has been in the ground since the time the earth was formed. The rate of radon seepage into homes varies because the amount of uranium in the soil varies from place to place.
Radon enters homes through foundations and can build up to dangerous levels.
The only way to tell if you have an increased risk of lung cancer from the radon seeping into your home is to conduct a radon test of the premises. ODH recommends that each residence in the state be tested for radon. The Ohio Department of Health will also test for radon in public schools at the request of a school administrator.