PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Encourages Pennsylvanians To Test Their Homes For Radon During January, National Radon Action Month

On January 9, the Department of Environmental Protection encouraged Pennsylvania residents to test their homes for radon during January-- Radon Action Month-- bringing public awareness for this serious health hazard.

“Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after smoking in the United States, and is a serious concern within the Commonwealth,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “DEP remains committed to working with home builders, school districts, realtors, family physicians, and other Pennsylvania departments to address radon issues and keep all Pennsylvanians safe.”

Radon is responsible for an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year in the U.S., according to Environmental Protection Agency, and about 40 percent of Pennsylvania homes have radon levels above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L (picocuries per liter).

While radon problems may be more common in some regions, there is potential for any home to have high radon levels.

Pennsylvania is particularly prone to elevated radon levels, and the only way homeowners can know for certain if they have a radon problem is to test their home.

DEP recommends that all homes, schools, public and private buildings get tested.

The best time to test is during the colder months, when homes and buildings are closed, and radon is most likely to be trapped and build up to higher levels.

Radon test kits are also available at many home improvement and hardware stores, as well as from Pennsylvania-certified radon laboratories.

Radon test kits typically cost approximately $20-$30. Completed test kits are sent to a Pennsylvania-certified lab where the sample is analyzed, and the results are sent to the home or building owner.

Homeowners are also able to hire a state-certified radon testing company to do the testing for them.

The public is encouraged to call DEP’s Radon Division at 717-783-3594, or the Radon Hotline at 800-237-2366, for help with interpretation of their test results and what follow-up action may be necessary.

Permanent radon mitigation systems typically cost between $800 and $1,200 and require minimal maintenance.

A list of state-certified radon contractors, labs, and testers is available on DEP’s website. The list is also available by calling 1-800-23-RADON.

Visit DEP’s Radon Division webpage for more information.

Click Here for DEP's announcement.

PA Discovers Radon

Thomas Gerusky, the late Director of the DEP Bureau of Radiation Protection, detailed the discovery of high levels of radon in homes in Pennsylvania in a 1987 Journal of Environmental Health article that led to the establishment of the first residential radon monitoring, education and remediation effort in the country.

In the late 1970s, PPL Utilities did a study of radon in the homes of its employees that found elevated radon in some homes that was reported to the Bureau of Radiation Protection.

DEP had planned to do a pilot survey to determine home radon levels, but the March 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant changed the Bureau’s priorities.

Plans for a survey were again being made in 1984, when DEP received a call in December from the Health Physicist at the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant saying a construction worker at the plant that was still under construction with no radioactive materials, set off radiation alarms going into the plant site.

A survey of the worker’s home in Berks County found high levels of radon. At the time, there were no standards of exposure for individuals in the general population.

The family was advised to vacate the residence in a letter signed by the state Secretary of Health and DEP.

The Philadelphia Electric Company and Bechtel, Inc., the owner and contractor for Limerick, assisted the worker in providing living arrangements until remedial action could be taken in the affected home.

DEP did a door-to-door survey of homes in the area and found others with elevated radon levels.

Click Here to read the entire article and find out what happened next.

For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website. Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.