Latest / Kendall County News - Shaw Local / State EMA: Radon gas linked to 1,200 Illinois deaths annually, homeowners should test

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State EMA: Radon gas linked to 1,200 Illinois deaths annually, homeowners should test · Kendall County News - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: State Ema radon gas linked to two hundred Illinois deaths annually.
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  Homeowners should test. Written by Joey Weslow, this article is
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  being read by an automated voice brought to you by Everlett.
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  It's tasteless, odorless, and invisible, but related to the deaths
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  of around twelve hundred people in Illinois every year, according
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  to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. January is Raydon Action Month,
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  and local county health departments are raising awareness about the
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  dangers of the radioactive gas with a simple safety instruction,
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  get your homes tested. Often completely missed by homeowners, Raydon
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  enters homes through cracks and floors, walls, and foundations. Raydon
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  is a natural occurring gas caused by the decay of
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  uranium in the soil. As raydon kay's radioactive particles are
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  released into the air. Prolonged exposure to high levels of
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  the deadly gas is the second leading cause of lung
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  cancer in the nation, with around twenty one thousand deaths
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  nationally each year according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
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  This is because as raydon decays in the lungs, it
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  causes damage to the cells and tissues. People who have
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  a history of smoking or lung related health issues are
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  particularly at risk. Local figures on the prevalence of the
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  lethal gas give health officials concern. The geology of northern
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  Illinois makes the region particularly vulnerable to high levels of
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  exposure due to glacial deposits rich in uranium. According to
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  the Illinois Department of Public Health, data collected from Kendall
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  County indicates that one in five homes have RAYDON levels
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  above the EPA's recommended action level of four PCIL, according
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  to a release by the Kendall County Health Department. According
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  to an EPA map of radon zones, Caine County is
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  in Zone one, signifying the highest risk of RAYDON. Kendall
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  County is in zone one as well. The average test
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  result for homes in Kane County is more than four PCILI.
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  According to the Kine County Health Department, if a home
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  building or school tests set four PCI light or higher,
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  action needs to be taken to remove the radon, the
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  Caine County Health Department said on its website. In Will County,
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  thirty seven percent of homes tested higher than the action level.
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  According to the Will County Health Department, Officials at the
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  Kendall County Health Department said the only way to ensure
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  safety is to get your home or building tested. No
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  two homes will have the same soil underneath them, and
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  this can cause differences in radon concentration potential. The Kendall
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  County Health Department said in a release. All homes are
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  built differently and this can also contribute to varying radon concentration.
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  Short term radon test kits are available at each county's
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  health department or at many local hardware stores. It costs
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  around eight ten dollars five product board ancient the EIGHTEA.
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  According to the DuPage County Health Department, the best place
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  to test is lower levels, such as basements and crawl spaces,
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  because radon entering the house will have higher concentrations closer
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  to the ground. This includes floor drains, sump pits, foundation cracks,
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  and gaps around pipes and wires. According to the EPA,
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  homeowners should test their homes every two years, especially after
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  home renovations that could lead to increased exposure. You can
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  also contact a professional radon test specialists for long term
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  radon testing through the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Public dot
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  EMA DOT State dot IL dot us. If radon is
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  found in your home, there are ways to reduce the
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  deadly gas through the services of a radon mitigation professional.