In 2008, the US Environmental Protection Agency held a video contest that called for lung cancer survivors to share their experience with the world. The winner, Eddie Metcalfe produced a video that shows firsthand what folks diagnosed with lung cancer must go through. It serves as a call to action for the rest of us, proof that every home needs to be tested for the presence of radon.
The Dangers of Radon: Eddie’s Story
Eddie’s video may only be a minute long, but his experience – which cost him a portion of his lung – will remain with him for the rest of his life. The sad part about the story is that it probably could have easily been prevented, with a simple radon test.
As Eddie mentioned, the radon levels in his home were extremely high. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, all across the world. There are absolutely no short terms symptoms of radon poisoning or lung cancer. In fact, most lung cancer victims are diagnosed too late because symptoms don’t start to show until after the disease has reached an incurable state.
Radon is deadly, odorless, colorless and tasteless. The only way to identify its presence is to perform a test specifically for it. We recommend testing twice a year, once in the summer and another time in the winter. If elevated levels are discovered during one of those tests, you should perform a long term test. Final results will show whether or not a mitigation system needs to be installed. If levels exceed 4.0 pCi/L action is definitely necessary, but we recommend mitigation if the levels are any higher than 2.0 pCi/L.
The greater the number of people that understand the dangers of radon, the greater the number of lives that can be saved.
Radon May Not Be the Only Danger in Your Home
Believe it or not, radon is extremely common yet most people have no clue what it is. That said, there are quite a few other dangers that may or may not exist in a home. If you’d like to read more about some of those take a look at our in-depth article on keeping the air quality in your home clean and fresh.
If you, or someone you know has been affected by lung cancer we urge you to share your experience and story with others. It will help save lives and raise awareness about the problem, one which most people have no clue even exists.
If even one life is saved because someone read or shared this content, then we have been successful. The dangers of radon need to be discussed far and wide.
