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. This article is being read by an
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  automated voice brought to you by Everlett. It's tasteless, odorless,
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  and invisible, but related to the deaths of around twelve
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  hundred people in Illinois every year, according to the Illinois
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  Emergency Management Agency. January is Radon Action Month, and local
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  county health departments are raising awareness about the dangers of
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  the radioactive gas with a simple safety instruction, get your
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  homes tested. Often completely missed by homeowners, Raydon enters homes
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  through cracks and floors, walls, and foundations. Raydon is a
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  natural occurring gas caused by the decay of uranium in
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  the soil. As raydon kays, radioactive particles are released into
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  the air. Prolonged exposure to high levels of the deadly
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  gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in
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  the nation, with around twenty one thousand deaths nationally each year,
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  according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. This is because
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  as raydon decays in the lungs, it causes damage to
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  the cells and tissues. People who have a history of
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  smoking or lung related health issues are particularly at risk.
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  Local figures on the prevalence of the lethal gas give
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  health officials concern. The geology of northern Illinois makes the
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  region particularly vulnerable to high levels of exposure due to
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  glacial deposits rich in uranium. According to the Illinois Department
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  of Public Health, data collected from Kendall County indicates that
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  one in five homes have RAYDON levels above the EPA's
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  recommended action level of four pci L, according to a
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  release by the Kendall County Health Department. According to an
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  EPA map of RAYDON zones, Kine County is in Zone one,
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  signifying the highest risk of RAYDON. Kendall County is in
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  zone one as well. The average test result for homes
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  in Kane County is more than four PCILI. According to
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  the Kine County Health Department, if a home building or
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  school tests set four pci light or higher, action needs
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  to be taken to remove the radon, the Caine County
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  Health Department said on its website. In Will County, thirty
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  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 time dollars five product forward at eighty. According
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  to the DuPage County Health Department, the best place to
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  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.