Butler County considered ‘high radon hazard potential’ by EPA
Butler County is classified as having a high potential for homes with radon, a radioactive gas that's the No. 1 cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year, and the EPA estimates that 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked.
“Radon in homes is more common than you think,” said Kevin Stewart, director of environmental health for the American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic. “Pennsylvania has one of the nation’s most serious radon problems. High levels of radioactive radon gas have been found in every county, but most places in the commonwealth remain undertested, so this isn’t something that should be taken lightly.”
The second leading cause of lung cancer is radon gas and nearly 40% of homes in Pennsylvania have a radon level greater than the recommended 4 picoCurie per liter, according to the association’s latest annual State of Lung Cancer report.
Gov. Josh Shapiro declared January “Radon Action Month” to increase public awareness of the health concern that affects 39.1% of homes in the state. The naturally occurring and odorless gas can build up in homes and buildings undetected, which could lead to an increased chance of lung cancer. Government officials, along with health care professional, urge people to test their homes.
Mike Bonura Jr., a radon measurement producer and radon mitigation specialist for Restoration Contracting Services of New Kensington, Allegheny County has 15 years of experience in finding radon in homes. He said testing the home is the most important step a resident can take to mitigate radon exposure.
“Without testing, you have no idea if you have it,” Bonura said “It’s a colorless, odorless gas. It’s not something you’d pick up on you. It doesn’t cause acute symptoms, where natural gas or carbon monoxide might give you headache or feel dizzy.
“Radon doesn’t work that way. Typically when you find out you have a problem it’s because someone found something on a scan on your lungs and it’s too late.”
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced from the decay of uranium found in rocks and soil. Radon escapes from the ground into the air, where it decays and produces further radioactive particles.
The gas can seep into homes and buildings and be breathed in, where the particles are deposited on cells lining the airways and can damage DNA and potentially cause lung cancer.
While cigarette smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer in the United States, the World Health Organization estimates that radon causes 3 to 14% of all lung cancers.
Pennsylvania currently ranks 33rd among states for new cases of lung cancer with 60 new cases per 100,000 people according to the 2023 State of Lung Cancer report put out by the American Lung Association.
Utah had the lowest number, with 25.2 new cases per 100,000 and Kentucky had the most, with 84.8 new cases per 100,000.
“Being present in many peoples home, it’s certainly a concern,” said Dr. Matthew Stripp, director of toxicology for Allegheny Health Network. “Radon gas can seep into your home and be relatively undetected for a period for a time.
“Since it does expose individuals to radiation, particularly when individuals inhale these particles and their products they can go on to have an elevated cancer risk going forward, especially for lung cancer.”
Bonura, who has been with Restoration Contracting Services for 15 years, said he recommends charcoal home testing for people not in a rush to get results.
“It’s something they can run on their own, and send into the lab to be interrupted,” Bonura said. “A lot of time for real estate but for homeowners charcoal testing can be more than adequate.”
With a charcoal test, homeowners would get their overall average of radon for 48 hours as compared to a digital test that would give an hourly breakdown, Bonura said.
Charcoal test are available in most hardware stores and range from $18 to $30.
Free radon kits are available through the American Lung Association’s website.
Bonura said the ideal time to test would be in the winter months because of the limited amount of outside air flow coming into the home.
The consensus among experts is the most important step for combating radon exposure is knowing what levels are in the home.
“I think the first step is really increasing the awareness,” Stripp said. “Once people have those numbers, they can see where their comfort level is and how many mitigation measures they want to pursue.”
