The Health Threat with a Simple Solution Nation Radon Action Week is October 17 - 23, 2000. The purpose of the week is to draw attention to radon as a serious public health issue and, more importantly, to motivate Americans to take action to protect themselves from radon s health effects. According to the Office of the Surgeon General, indoor radon gas is a serious health problem in our nation. Radon causes an estimated 14,000 lung cancer deaths each year.
Smoking combined with radon exposure is an especially dangerous health risk.
Radon is an odorless radioactive gas that results from the breakdown of uranium. Uranium is present in most of the soil and rock around the world. It is typically concentrated in areas with lots of granite, shale, phosphate and pitchblende. The major source of high levels of radon in homes is soils around the house that may contain uranium, granite, shale phosphate and pitchblende. Because radon is a gas, it can enter a home or building through dirt floors, shale-block walls, cracks in the foundation floor and walls, and openings around floor drains, pipes and sump pumps.