The bad news about radon is it’s the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking.

The good news is there are ways to rid your house – or the house you want to buy – of the toxic gas.

“There’s absolutely no reason not to buy your dream house just because it has a high radon problem,” says Brian Hanson, program coordinator for the Kansas Radon Program at Kansas State University.

January is National Radon Action Month, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Hanson and others who spread the word about radon want to let people know both the dangers and the remediation methods.

It’s an issue that takes on a special importance in Lawrence this year. As of Tuesday, Lawrence is the third city in the state to require new homes to have a radon reduction system included in the blueprints.

Radon is a radioactive gas that is produced by the decay of uranium found in the soil. It moves into homes through cracks and holds in the foundation.

Nationally, the EPA estimates there are about 23,000 radon-related lung cancer deaths annually. Hanson says that breaks down to about 200 a year in Kansas.

Testing

Because it is tasteless, odorless and colorless, the only way to test for radon is by utilizing a test kit or professional testing company. Kits are available for $5 at the Douglas County Extension Office and at home improvement stores, and they’re sent to a laboratory for processing.

Radon levels are measured in picocuries per liter of air. A level of 4 or above is considered dangerous. Much of the northern half of the state – including Douglas County – has average readings above 4.

“Because of the number of different factors involved with what a radon level on a house is going to be, it causes levels to be pretty variable,” Hanson says. “You can have five houses on a block, and even in a high (level) county, get five wildly different measurements.”

Though tightly sealed windows and doors are better for energy efficiency, they actually allow radon to concentrate in basements and other parts of homes.

That makes testing of individual homes important, Hanson says. He also suggests hiring a professional testing company as part of a home inspection, if you’re in the market for a house.

The fix

Hanson says the way to repair a home is by installing a vacuum system that sucks radon through a PVC pipe from the soil to a vent above the roof.

Installation of the system runs around $1,200 to $1,400 on average, he says. The ongoing cost of running the fan costs about the same as a 100-watt lightbulb.

“It’s all about risk reduction,” Hanson says.

The new ordinance in Lawrence involves only new home construction. It requires a “passive radon reduction system,” which operates with a 10- to 30-watt fan.

The good news about testing and fixing radon problems, Hanson says, is that once you go through the process, you shouldn’t have to test again or make additional changes.

“If you test an existing house and it comes back low – and you ran the test properly – you don’t need to retest unless you make a significant change in how the house operates,” Hanson says.