January 14, 2008
Her lung
cancer tied to radon
46% of tested homes show high gas level
Author: Jim Ritter; The
She's never smoked, so Barbara Sorgatz was stunned to learn she had lung cancer.
What probably caused the tumor, she later found out, was radioactive radon gas
seeping into her home near
Sorgatz didn't know about radon when she bought the house 23
years ago. After her diagnosis, she got the house tested and found that radon
levels were about five times higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency standard.
This month,
The Illinois Radon Awareness Act
also reconfirms buyers' rights to have houses tested for radon. A test by a
licensed technician costs about $125; the buyer pays.
KILLS UP TO 22,000 PEOPLE A YEAR
In 2003-04, about 46 percent of
such tests in
Radon is a colorless, odorless,
radioactive gas that seeps into the home. It comes from the radioactive decay
of naturally occurring uranium in the soil.
Depending on the soil and other
factors, homes on the same block can have significantly different levels. In
the
Radon is the second-leading
cause of lung cancer, after smoking. Smokers exposed to radon are at especially
high risk. In the
The Illinois Emergency
Management Agency recommends all home buyers get a radon test before buying.
But even if you already own your
home, it's a good idea to test it, according to the Respiratory Health
Association of Metropolitan Chicago. And winter is the best time to test,
because windows are closed and air conditioners turned off.
Radon test
kits, sold at hardware stores and home centers, cost $10 to $20. For a coupon for a free kit, contact Eileen Lowery at
the respiratory health association, (312) 628-0217, or elowery@lungchicago.org.
COSTS $800-$1,500 TO FIX
The EPA recommends fixing your
home if radon levels are above 4 picoCuries
per liter of air. A curie is a unit of radioactivity.
A radon fix generally costs $800
to $1,500. It includes sealing cracks, increasing ventilation and pumping radon
out of the house.
Sorgatz, 54, spent $1,200 fixing her home after learning of her
cancer in 2006. Fortunately, a small tumor was spotted early in a CT scan
ordered for a gallbladder problem. Last February, a surgeon removed more than a
quarter of her left lung.
"I have a very good
prognosis," she said.