Douglas residents snap up free radon tests

SHERIDAN, Nev. " State environmental officials gave away 255 radon test kits on Wednesday as part of an effort to get Douglas County residents to test their homes for the gas.

The prospect of getting the free kits caused a traffic jam in Sheridan Acres and packed the community's fire house on Wednesday night.

More than 320 people showed up to get a kit and hear a presentation about the odorless, tasteless gas that seeps into homes, where it collects and gives off radioactive particles as it decays.

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers, according to Nevada Radon Education Program Director Susan Roberts.

Radon is a noble gas, produced by the decay of uranium in the soil.

"Any house can have radon in it," Roberts said. "It's not whether there's radon, it's how much radon is there."

According to Roberts one in three homes tested in Douglas County has higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's recommended level of radon.

During the period from February 2007 to Sept. 30, 2008, 204 Douglas homeowners used short-term tests to check their homes for radon. Of those, 78 were above the limit, one of the highest levels in the state, according to data published in the "Nevada Radon Report."

Roberts said homes draw radon from the soil as they draw air from the foundations.

She said radon is a Class A carcinogen. Officials want every home in the state tested for radon.

Nevada Department of Environmental Protection physicist Adrian Howe told residents that the gas builds up in homes over a short period of time.

"Sealing does virtually nothing," he said.

He said sealing cracks in the foundation and filters were not adequate solutions to fixing the problem.

The best method is to vent the radon out of the soil under the home though the roof, according to Roberts.

Installing a system to fix the radon can cost a homeowner more than $1,200. Roberts said it is far less expensive to install a system while the house is under construction.

The tests distributed on Wednesday, will be available at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension's offices in about a week.

The test requires three days to conduct and results should arrive within two weeks, Roberts said. Postage to send the tests into the state is paid.

Only about 15 percent of the tests given out have been returned, Roberts said, but she hopes more information will prompt people to be better about sending them for testing.