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National Radon Action Month

DOH: One in five Florida homes have elevated levels of radon

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Residents are encouraged by the Florida Department of Health in Orange County to take action to protect their homes and families from the dangers of radon exposure during National Radon Action Month.

National Radon Action Month is a nationwide campaign to educate Americans on the serious threat that radon poses to the community’s health. The best way for residents to protect themselves is to test their homes for radon, a silent killer.

In Florida, one in five homes tested has elevated radon levels. Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple and inexpensive. Radon test kits can be purchased at local hardware and home improvement stores. Qualified contractors can fix radon problems for a cost.

Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas dispersed in outdoor air but can reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings. Scientists have long been concerned about the health risk of radon. However, there has never been such overwhelming proof that exposure to elevated radon levels causes lung cancer in humans. 

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that radon is responsible for more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.

For more information on radon testing, mitigation, and radon-resistant new construction, call the Florida Department of Health at 850-245-4288 or visit our website at http://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/radon/ or visit EPA’s National Radon Action Month website at https://www.epa.gov/radon/national-radon-action-month-information.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

For more information about the Florida Department of Health, please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.

Radon, Florida Department of health in Orange County, Florida, Orange County, January, National Radon Action Month

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