The US Surgeon General, US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Radon Program at the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) recommend that all homes be tested for radon. Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that you can't see, smell or taste and is the most serious environmental cancer-causing agent to which the general public is exposed. Recent studies estimate that as many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States are attributable to radon.

If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

In Rhode Island, over 23% of homes tested have radon above the US Environmental Protection Agency's action level.

Many homes have not been tested and may therefore be exposing families to harmful levels of radon gas. The only method of determining if your home contains high levels of radon is to conduct a test. If an elevated level of radon is found in your home, it can be corrected at a reasonable cost.

Test kits are available through most major home improvement centers and online from radon analytical laboratories.

By: Rhode Island Department of Health