MADISON, Wis. (CIVIC MEDIA) – Turning the heat on in the winter can draw radioactive radon gas into your home, a leading cause of lung cancer.

About 1 out of 10 homes in Wisconsin has high radon levels. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is radioactive and can cause lung cancer.

Radon travels only a meter or two through soil from where it was created. It comes naturally from uranium, which exists in soil and bedrock. It undergoes radium decay before it is transformed into a chemically reactive atom. Radon can travel through air pockets in the soil and into your house.

Radon enters basements, becasuse the air is at lower pressure than the soil gases under the slab. Cracks and openings in basements allow the radon to get into your home. Radon leaks inside and is very common in the state. You can’t see or smell it, but you can protect yourself from it.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services Radon Program Manager says a simple test can help you find out if you need to get your home treated.

Contact a Radon Information Center to get a test kit for around $20. Discounted tests are available through the end of January.

Radon is one of the leading causes of lung cancer, right behind smoking.

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