ELECTRICAL SERVICES

Is your home Safe from Radon?

Simply, Radon is a Radioactive Gas that can cause lung cancer. It is a “type A” carcinogen. Scientifically, Radon is a radioactive element that is part of the radioactive decay chain of naturally occurring uranium in soil. You can’t see radon. You can’t smell radon & you can’t taste radon. Unlike carbon monoxide and many other home pollutants, radon’s adverse health effect – lung cancer – is usually not produced immediately. It is possible to be exposed for many years without knowing it.

More Facts about Radon

• Living in a home with radon concentrations at the state action level of 4.0pCi/L is the equivalent of smoking 8 cigarettes a day and is the equivalent of getting 200 chest X-rays a year. (Oswego Illinois for example has an average reading of 5.5pCi/L)
• Radon induced lung cancer kills more people than drunk driving in the US annually.
• Radon is an invisible, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas.
• According to the US EPA, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, and the leading cause among non-smokers.
• Radon comes from the natural breakdown of uranium and enters homes, schools and other buildings from the soil.
• Elevated indoor levels are found in every state in the US, and in every county in Illinois.