written by Donna Krug - Cottonwood Extension District
You can’t see it, taste it, or smell it. You don’t even know that it’s there, but it has the potential to do serious harm. Radon! – a radioactive soil gas which moves from the ground under and around a home through cracks and crevices in the foundation to collect inside.
Why all the concern about radon? Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America, after cigarette smoking. Nearly one out of every 4 homes in Kansas may have elevated radon levels, but levels can vary even from home to home in the same neighborhood.
As health concerns about radon increase, the Kansas Radon Program at Kansas State University can help to shed some light on this elusive danger. Brian Hanson, Radon Program Coordinator, will be in Great Bend on Monday, March 9 to present a program about radon. A free four-hour continuing education course for real estate professionals will be held from 1- 5 pm at the Extension Office, 1800 12th Street in Great Bend. To receive credit for the “Radon for Real Estate Professionals” course realtors must provide their Realtor License number.
The only way to know if there is radon in a home is to test. Winter is the best time for testing when homes are closed up from outside air. Radon screening kits can be purchased at the Extension Office for $6.50. The self-mailer kit includes full instructions for completing the test and returning it to a lab for analysis.
Donna Krug is the District Director and Family and Consumer Science Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. She can be reached at 620-793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu.