Putnam Health Department Urges Radon Testing
Putnam County has a higher rate of lung cancer than any other county in the Hudson Valley and it is higher than the state average. It is not because we have an absorbent amount of smokers. The reason, according to Dr. Allen Beals, commissioner of Putnam County’s Department of Health, is radon.
Radon is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas that occurs naturally from the radioactive decay of uranium or thorium in the soil. It is the leading cause of lung cancer in the United States among non-smokers; for smokers it greatly magnifies the cancer risk.
“By accident of geology we are sitting on a rock formation that is emitting radioactive radon and the consequence of that is that many houses in Putnam County have high levels of radon than is healthy,” Beals said at the legislature’s health committee meeting last Monday.
Although Putnam County has been rated the healthiest county in the state for the past three years, it has been identified as a “high radon risk” area with elevated rates of lung cancer.
“For smokers it does not just add to the risk, it increases the risk significantly,” Beals said.
To address this serious health issue in the community, the Putnam County Department of Health is launching a new program to encourage and assist residents in having their homes checked for radon.
“The most important thing is to identify you have a problem,” said Beals. “Then the remediation in most cases is simple, inexpensive and could be a family lifesaver.”
Typically radon gas enters a home through cracks in foundations, floors and walls, and can accumulate to dangerous levels. It can also enter a home through the use of well water.
“The only way to know if radon levels in your home are high is to have your home tested,” said Beals. “Elevated radon levels in your home can be corrected. It is important to find out the necessary steps to take to protect your family from this serious health hazard. With high radon levels in your home, breathing that air could be the same as getting frequent chest x-rays.”
Leg. Sam Oliverio, Jr., who chairs the health committee, remembers his father always worrying about radon.
“My dad, when he was on the legislature in the ‘80s, feared this,” said Oliverio. “He would say, ‘This stuff is a silent killer. It will wipe you out.’ You have not heard much about radon but I think [the talk] is coming back because it is now linked to lung cancer.”
Radon test kits will be available soon for purchase from the Health Department for $10. This short-term test remains in your home for a few days to check the air. The kit is sealed and mailed in for analysis. The lab analysis fee is included in the original $10 charge and results are usually returned within a few weeks.
If elevated levels are found, the problem can be fixed. Costs vary and inexpensive solution can correct some situations.
In some situations the remedy is as simple as corking or having a fan run in the basement,” Beals said.
In addition to getting the test at the health department, Beals said that the office would be tables at many of the upcoming community events such as the 4-H fair to bring awareness to the issue.
“Every house in Putnam County should have this test done,” said Beals.
For more information about radon and radon testing, visit the New York State Department of Health website at http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/radiological/radon/radon.htm or call the Putnam County Health Department at 845-808-1390.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
