You cannot see, smell or taste radon. But it still may be a problem in your home. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk for respiratory issues. Radon has been classified as a known human carcinogen and has been recognized as a significant health problem by groups such as the Centers for Disease Control, the American Lung Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Public Health Association. As such, risks from in-home radon exposure have been a major concern for the EPA. The "Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction: How to Fix Your Home" Contains information about home radon mitigation: radon reduction techniques and radon reduction systems.

Though overall cancer incidence and mortality have continued to decline in recent years, cancer continues to devastate the lives of far too many Americans. In 2009 alone, 1.5 million American men, women, and children were diagnosed with cancer, and 562,000 died from the disease. There is a growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer. The Pres. Cancer Panel dedicated its 2008¿2009 activities to examining the impact of environmental factors on cancer risk. The Panel considered industrial, occupational, and agricultural exposures as well as exposures related to medical practice, military activities, modern lifestyles, and natural sources. This report presents the Panel¿s recommend. to mitigate or eliminate these barriers. Illus.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other major national and international scientific organizations have concluded that radon is a human carcinogen and a serious environmental health problem. The EPA has conducted extensive research on the presence and measurement of radon in schools. This report provides school administrators and facilities managers with instructions on how to test for the presence of radon. Section 1 of this report includes information on radon facts, health effects, radon exposure, radon problems in schools, and radon entry into schools. Section 2 on radon testing in schools includes information on measurement strategy in schools, what rooms to test, when to conduct radon measurements, who may conduct testing, quality assurance measurements, summary of EPA recommendations, deciding how quickly to mitigate, and a decision making flow chart. Section 3 covers reducing radon concentrations. Section 4 includes frequently asked question on radon and radiation, planning for testing, conducting initial measurements, tampering and detector placement, weather conditions, conducting follow-up measurements, and quality assurance. Appendices include a list of state radon contacts, a list of EPA Regional Offices and Radon Training Centers, information on using a measurement service, measurement devices, quality assurance procedure, and a procedural checklist for radon testing. (JPT)