Radon Awareness
Air Date: 09/04/2014
What would you do to lower your family’s risk of lung cancer? It starts with one simple test, and your own Radon Awareness.
In this Nebraska Public Media Connects presentation, Radon Awareness, you will learn about radon and how to keep your family safe from the dangers it presents. Local panelists with first-hand experience and expertise will share how radon testing takes place, why it poses such a threat, and how community organizations are taking action against radon in Nebraska.
Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. Its presence in your home can pose a danger to your family's health. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and claims about 20,000 American lives annually.
Nebraska has a very high prevalence of radon in homes. One out of every two radon tests conducted in the state is elevated. Most Nebraska counties are at the highest potential level for having high radon levels. Generally, the highest potential areas have had the least amount of homes tested.
The Nebraska Radon Program recommends all homes be tested for radon, as testing is the only way to know the radon level in your home. Radon testing is easy and inexpensive, and do-it-yourself kits can be purchased through the Program. There are effective ways to reduce radon levels in your home if they are elevated. New homes can also be built with radon resistant features during construction, called radon resistant new construction (RRNC).