Each year in the United States exposure to radon gas causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths, approximately 1,000 deaths each year in New York state alone. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Exposure to both smoking and radon gas greatly enhances the risk of lung cancer. Radon gas is a health hazard, potentially lurking in homes in our community. You cannot see, smell or taste radon and most people are not aware that an elevated radon level may be a significant health concern in their homes.

Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the soil. Any home can have high radon levels. It doesn't matter if your home is old or new or if it has a basement or slab.

Radon can leak through cracks in your basement or slab, through the dirt floor of your crawl space or through openings around your sump pump.

It has been determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Health that Cayuga County is a high - risk radon county. A large percentage of actual radon test results performed in homes within Cayuga County had radon levels above the EPA's recommended level for taking remedial action.

In response, the Cayuga County Health Department applied for a New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) grant to distribute radon detectors to encourage homeowners to test for radon in their homes.

Last year was the first year of the Cayuga County Health Department three-year Radon Awareness Campaign. Of the 300 radon kits distributed free to residents last year, radon levels were obtained for 186 homes. Seventeen percent of the results were above 4.0 pCi/L, the EPA's recommended level for taking action toward lowering the levels.

Homes tested within the city of Auburn and the towns of Brutus, Fleming and Moravia had more than 20 percent of the results exceeding 4.0 pCi/L.

Moravia actually had 32 percent of its results exceeding 4.0 pCi/L and 9 percent exceeding 20.0 pCi/L.

The Cayuga County Health and Human Services Department is again distributing radon kits free of charge to Cayuga County homeowners to encourage homeowners to test their homes for radon. If an elevated radon level is discovered in a home, it can be corrected. Health Department staff will be available to discuss the radon results with the homeowners, and, if necessary, provide technical information regarding what steps can be taken to reduce the radon levels in their homes.

For questions regarding radon and radon testing, residents are encouraged to call Scott King, Environmental Health Division of the Cayuga County Health and Human Services Department at

253-1405.

Elane Daly is director of Health and Human Services for Cayuga County. She can be reached at 253-1560 or cchealth@dfa.state.ny.us

Radon kits are available at the following locations:

Environmental Health Division Cayuga County Health and Human Services Department

Second floor, County Office Building

160 Genesee St., Auburn

253-1405

Village of Moravia Office

22 Central Street, Moravia

497-1820

Community Health Division Cayuga County Health and Human Services Department

8 Dill St., Auburn

253-1560

Village of Union Springs

26 Chapel St., Union Springs

889-7341

Town of Cato Office

11320 Short Cut Road, Cato

626-6230

Cornell Cooperative

Extension of Cayuga County

248 Grant Ave., Auburn

255-1183