San Joaquin County
  Environmental Health Department (EHD)
    1868 East Hazelton Avenue, Stockton, CA 95205-6232
     (209) 468-3420
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January is Radon Month

Did you know that the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking in the US?  A number of studies have shown that indoor radon gas exposure can be traced to thousands of lung cancer deaths.  Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, and odorless radioactive gas which decays into radioactive particles that can be a cancer risk factor when inhaled.  The only way to know for sure if your home has dangerous levels of radon gas is to test it.

 In recognition of January is Radon Month the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is encouraging California residents to learn more about this public health concern.  Visit the CDPH Radon Program website, http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/environhealth/Pages/Radon.aspx, to obtain low cost test kits for testing your home for the presence of radon gas and to learn more about certified radon providers, radon potential areas in California, and radon resistant new construction.  Join in the effort to combat this serious but preventable health risk by learning about radon gas. 

 Other references that may be of interest are:

• An EPA booklet entitled “A Physician’s Guide” urges physicians to inquire about and encourage patients to test radon levels in their homes.  At the end of this booklet are references that list a number of radon studies that have been conducted:   http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/physic.html
• An EPA booklet entitled “A Citizen's Guide to Radon: The Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Radon,” http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html, has a radon risk chart toward the end of the booklet.
• A fact sheet from the World Health Organization has a reference list that indicates recent worldwide studies which have been conducted regarding the impacts of indoor radon:  http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs291/en/index.html
  

 For questions the CDPH contact person for the Radon Program is Willy Jenkins:  willy.jenkins@cdph.ca.gov, 916-449-5674. 

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