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The Radiation Control Program
provides information regarding radon health effects,
testing, and mitigation. Available information is in the
form of informational pamphlets, presentations to
interested groups, response to telephone inquiries, and
demonstration booths at health fairs and home shows.
Radon is an odorless, tasteless,
invisible radioactive gas that is naturally occurring in
all rock and soil types. Radon is considered by the US
Environmental Protection Agency, the US Surgeon General,
and the American Lung Association to be the
second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United
States.
Radon can enter a building through
the foundation and increase in concentration in the
indoor air. All buildings have a potential for elevated
radon concentrations if there is contact with the soil,
including mobile homes if the home has skirting.
Elevated radon concentrations have
been discovered in Nevada homes and it is recommended
that all homes be tested for radon. Elevated radon
concentrations are easy to test for and relatively easy
to reduce or eliminate. Screening test kits are
available for no more than $10 to $30.
The goal of Division radon
awareness activities is to provide appropriate factual
information to facilitate informed decisions by the
public regarding their own health and safety. These
efforts are also intended to encourage individuals to
test their homes, as testing is the only means of
determining if elevated radon concentrations exist.
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