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January is Radon Awareness Month · Talking FACS

• 0:01
  Welcome to Talking Facts.
• 0:03
  What you need to know about family food finance and fitness.
• 0:07
  This nationally recognized award winning podcast is hosted by the University of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program.
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  Our educators share research knowledge with individuals,
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  families and communities to improve quality of life.
• 0:24
  Hello and welcome to Talking Facts.
• 0:27
  What you need to know about family food finance and fitness.
• 0:30
  I am your host,
• 0:31
  Mindy mcculley Extension Specialist for instructional support at the University of Kentucky.
• 0:37
  Welcome to Dr Stacey Stanifer with the College of Nursing Breathe Program and Harden Stevens,
• 0:44
  our extension specialist for a healthy home who focuses on right on awareness.
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  Welcome to you both.
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  Thank you,
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  Mindy for having us.
• 0:53
  Thanks for having us,
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  Mindy.
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  We are going to be talking about Radon awareness and the importance of recognizing our ability to mitigate radon in our homes and deal with this colorless odorless gas that might be in your home that you don't know about.
• 1:13
  Harden.
• 1:14
  Let's talk about what is radon and why is Cooperative extension involved and concerned with radon in our homes?
• 1:23
  Well,
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  thank you,
• 1:23
  Mindy Cooperative Extension is committed to improving the quality of individual and family life throughout the commonwealth and with the relationships that our county agents have in their local communities.
• 1:36
  It was a natural fit to partner with the Kentucky Department for Public Health to raise awareness about radon and its negative effects on our health.
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  As is well documented.
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  Lung cancer is a huge problem in Kentucky and most lung cancer cases are due to tobacco use,
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  but some of these cases are also due to exposure to radon.
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  The Kentucky Department for Public Health defines radon as a cancer causing radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil,
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  rock and water.
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  Radon gets into the air we breathe through cracks,
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  crevices and openings in our homes.
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  Foundation radon gas is not visible,
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  it has no odor or taste and it is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States estimated to cause thousands of deaths annually.
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  Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths.
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  So,
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  Doctor Sandifer,
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  with your research at the UK College of Nursing Breathe Program,
• 2:42
  can you tell us about the health effects and impacts of radon in Kentucky?
• 2:48
  Yeah.
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  As Hardin mentioned,
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  radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas and it is the second leading cause of lung cancer because the gas is naturally occurring and it comes from the ground.
• 3:01
  The gas is found in both indoor and outdoor air outdoors.
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  The level of radon is very low because it's quickly diluted and is generally not a threat to our health.
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  Our greatest risk of exposure is actually within our homes where we spend the majority of our time and as the gas enters,
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  becomes trapped and then begins to accumulate.
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  So as we breathe in that radioactive gas,
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  it delivers tiny doses of radiation to the cells that line the lungs.
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  And over time can damage those cells and increase our risk for lung cancer while breathing radon is dangerous for everyone.
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  It really is more harmful when someone also breathes tobacco smoke.
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  So researchers from across the globe have determined that those who smoke and are exposed to radon have a tenfold greater risk of developing lung cancer than never smokers exposed to the same level of radon given that rate on risk potential and smoking rates in Kentucky.
• 4:03
  This is a real concern for our state.
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  It's estimated that approximately 1033 rated on induced lung cancer cases are diagnosed annually in Kentucky.
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  What we're learning from our research here is that people in Kentucky really don't talk or hear much about radon and therefore many of them are unaware of radon and it's associated risk for lung cancer.
• 4:26
  That's why doing these podcasts like we're doing today are really so important.
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  We also know that only 13 out of every 100,000 homes in Kentucky has been tested for radon and we've found barriers to testing the research that we do along with our partnerships with the Kentucky Geological Survey,
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  the State Radon program and the Cooperative Extension strive to reduce barriers and make home radon testing and fixing a home for radon more affordable and accessible to everyone.
• 4:59
  Can you share with us some of the barriers to testing?
• 5:04
  Sure.
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  So some of the barriers that I we've identified as general uh lack of knowledge.
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  So some folks don't even know about it.
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  Another barrier that we've seen is access to testing.
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  So uh are the equipment to test a home for Radom and a third barrier could be cost.
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  So we know that um the cost to testing can be a barrier to folks and just knowing that if they do have a problem in their home and they have to fix it,
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  some folks are,
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  are avoiding testing because they know that they can't even afford to fix the home to begin with.
• 5:37
  Can you also share with us how Kentucky's geology contributes to Kentucky's right on problems.
• 5:44
  Yeah.
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  In Kentucky,
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  we're really fortunate that the Kentucky Geological Survey has the country's most detailed statewide geologic map,
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  meaning that they've been able to map with great detail,
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  the different types of bedrock that make up Kentucky.
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  We know that radon comes from the radioactive decay of uranium found in rocks.
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  And we also know that different types of bedrock are all throughout Kentucky and they contain varying amounts of uranium.
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  With this knowledge in collaboration with the Kentucky Geological Survey.
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  We combined results from approximately 72,000 home radon test kits collected over a 28 year period in Kentucky with that statewide geologic map to develop a geologically based indoor radon potential map of Kentucky.
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  So all of that means that this map is a visual representation of indoor radon potential and can be used to tell the public that based on what we know from other homes built on that same kind of bedrock.
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  The levels in their untested home could be as high as the value they see on the map.
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  The bottom line really is that testing is the only way to find out a home's radon level.
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  So all homes should be tested.
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  Is radon found only in Kentucky or is it also in other parts of the country?
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  Mindy radon is found across the country in varying levels in looking at the Environmental Protection Agency map of radon zones.
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  Those living in zone one have the greatest potential for elevated indoor radon levels.
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  While those in zone three have the lowest potential.
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  However,
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  no matter where someone lives,
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  the EPA encourages everyone to test their home,
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  know their level and fix when elevated radon is found.
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  According to the EPA,
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  Kentucky is ranked in the top 10 of states with the highest radon potential and combined with our state's smoking levels.
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  This is a bad combination and contributes to the high levels of lung cancer cases found in Kentucky.
• 7:55
  Pardon.
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  I will link that EPA map of radon zones in the show notes.
• 8:00
  So our listeners can see what you're talking about here in that radon zone.
• 8:07
  So how does one test for rate on?
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  So,
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  testing for radon is easy.
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  There are different methods of testing and they include diy,
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  short term,
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  long term and continuous monitoring or homeowners can hire a certified radon measurement professional Diy kits.
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  Uh,
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  short term,
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  generally run around 10 or $15 and the long term kits can be a little bit more,
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  more expensive around $40.
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  These can typically be found at home improvement stores or online.
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  In addition,
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  right now,
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  anyone with a library card to the Hopkinsville,
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  Christian County,
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  Logan Pulaski or Row County public libraries can borrow a continuous rate on monitor from the library at no cost.
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  These have been made available as part of a research study.
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  Now,
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  when testing for radon finding the right location in the home is important and while there's no safe level of radon exposure,
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  if home radon test results reveal a radon value of 4.0 pico carries per liter of or more,
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  the EPA would recommend that the homeowner take action to lower that level.
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  If the radon level is between two and four PICO carries per liter,
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  the EPA would suggest that the homeowner consider fixing the home.
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  How does one fix their write on problem after the test?
• 9:35
  Yeah.
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  Fixing a home for radon is called mitigation.
• 9:38
  The most common technique used is the soil suction which involves drawing the air out from below the home before it ever has a chance to enter and then venting it through a pipe to the air above the home where it's quickly diluted in the outdoor air.
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  It is recommended that a qualified radon litigation contractor be hired to fix a home when elevated rayon levels are found.
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  And in fact,
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  in Kentucky,
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  there is a regulation in place that requires any person or business conducting radon mitigation must be certified and registered with the state.
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  And this is important as rad on mitigation requires specific technical knowledge and special skills.
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  So without that proper training,
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  someone could uh increase the radon level inside a home.
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  So since we have this requirement for certified radon specialists,
• 10:30
  how do you go about finding that professional to mitigate their home?
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  And what is the approximate cost to install a mitigation system to find a certified radon professional?
• 10:42
  I would recommend going to the National Radon Proficiency Program website and entering your zip code.
• 10:50
  After entering your zip code,
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  the website will pull up a list of professionals in your area from there.
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  You can click on the professionals link to find their contact information and business information.
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  These radon professionals have passed a national exam are required to receive continuing education classes and must provide proof of proficiency demonstrations.
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  They also follow a quality assurance planned in a strict code of ethics.
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  There is also a National Radon Proficiency program that serves as the as the credentialing body for the American Association of Radon scientist and technologist.
• 11:34
  The cost for installing a radon mitigation system will vary by house and by geographic area.
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  But the approximate cost are estimated to be the same as a small home project.
• 11:48
  Just a reminder that even after having a mitigation installed,
• 11:52
  it is recommended that you still have your home tested every two years for those who are considering building a new home.
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  It is also important to know that it is possible to build a new home using radon resistant features by incorporating these features at the time of construction.
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  It is almost always less expensive than fixing a an existing home that does have a radon problem.
• 12:20
  That is very good information to know and I,
• 12:23
  I'm sure will be very beneficial to anyone who might be building a home.
• 12:27
  I thank you both Doctor Sandifer and Harden.
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  I know that we have had great shows from the Breath Program.
• 12:34
  I I think actually,
• 12:36
  uh quitting Nicotine is a show that is our most popular podcast that,
• 12:40
  that we have had in the past and that was one of our Breathe Program partnerships.
• 12:45
  Um Thank you both for joining us today.
• 12:48
  Thank you,
• 12:49
  Mindy.
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  Thank you for having us,
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  Mindy.
• 12:51
  And if you are just tuning in to the podcast,
• 12:53
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• 13:02
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