This map indicates areas where radon risk is present. The dark red areas show the highest risk.
The greater Lewis County area is at a high geological risk for the cancer-causing gas radon, according to a new study released by the state Department of Health.
The study identifies some areas around the Puget Sound, not known for being at risk for radon, that are prone to having higher levels of the radioactive gas.
Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas created when uranium in rocks decays. The gas becomes trapped and builds up when it enters a building from the ground.
“Western Washington has a lot of material that was moved back and forth by glaciers. A lot of underlying rock doesn’t have a lot of radium in it, but every once in awhile you have pockets that do,” Mike Brennan, a radiation health physicist, said.
Although some areas in the state are prone to radon based on geology, Brennan said, the risk of radon is possible anywhere.
“The first step is to test,” Brennan said. “If you don’t test, you don’t know.”
The state Department of Health encourages homeowners to test for radon even if the risk is consider low. Inexpensive home-testing kits are available at most hardware stores, the department of health said, and certified radon professionals are available to help homeowners.
The state study measured radon test results and found two spots in central Lewis County that had results considered above action level by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA advises homeowners to fix their homes if radon levels are above 4 picocuries per liter or higher, which were found twice in central Lewis County.
Brennan said more places in the region could be at action levels, but have not been tested yet.
“We will continue to encourage people to test and the Department of Health will continue to gather information so we can have more accurate and useful maps,” Brennan said.
It is especially important to know radon exposure levels, Brennan said, since long-term exposure to radon is known to cause lung cancer. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, the EPA estimates. The radioactive gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer, responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year nationwide. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked, according to the EPA.
“Everybody is in agreement that exposure to radon can increase your chances of lung cancer,” Brennan said.
