Michigan officials are urging residents to test their homes for a dangerous, radioactive gas that is found naturally in the environment.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared January 2024 as Radon Action Month. Officials want residents to learn more about the environmental hazard and have their homes tested.
What is radon?
Radon comes naturally from the earth. It’s a radioactive gas that forms naturally when uranium, thorium, or radium, break down in rocks, soil, and groundwater, according to the EPA. People are primarily exposed to radon gas from breathing in air that comes into homes and buildings through cracks and gaps.
You cannot see, smell, or taste radon. There are no short-term side effects that could let you know that you’re breathing it in. Long-term exposure to radon increases the risk of developing lung cancer.
How dangerous is radon?
Radon is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to the EPA. Overall, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. Radon causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of those deaths occur in people who have never smoked.
Radon risk if you’ve never smoked, data from EPA:
| Radon level | If 1,000 people who never smoked were exposed to this level over a lifetime | The risk of cancer from radon exposure compares to | What to do: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 pCi/L | About 36 people could get lung cancer | 35 times the risk of drowning | Fix your home |
| 10 pCi/L | About 18 people could get lung cancer | 20 times the risk of dying in a home fire | Fix your home |
| 8 pCi/L | About 15 people could get lung cancer | 4 times the risk of dying in a fall | Fix your home |
| 4 pCi/L | About 7 people could get lung cancer | The risk of dying in a car crash | Fix your home |
| 2 pCi/L | About 4 person could get lung cancer | The risk of dying from poison | Consider fixing between 2 and 4 pCi/L |
| 1.3 pCi/L | About 2 people could get lung cancer | (Average indoor radon level) | (Reducing radon levels below 2 pCi/L is difficult.) |
| 0.4 pCi/L | (Average indoor radon level) | (Reducing radon levels below 2 pCi/L is difficult.) |
How to test for radon
Michigan residents are encouraged to test for radon in their home every two to five years.
If a radon mitigation system was installed in the home, residents should check every two years to make sure radon levels are in acceptable ranges. In 2024, Michigan residents with an active radon mitigation system in their home can participate in the 2024 Radon Mitigation System Study.
Residents interested in having their radon mitigation system inspected for free can complete an online form to register to be considered for the study.
Michigan radon results interactive map
Elevated radon levels have been found in all 83 Michigan counties. Michigan officials estimate that one in every four homes in the state has radon levels exceeding the federal action level of 4 picocuries per liter of air (4 pCi/L).
How to find more information
More information about radon can be found online at Michigan.gov/Radon or by calling EGLE’s Indoor Radon hotline at 800-723-6642 (800-RADONGAS).
More information about lung cancer can be found at Michigan.gov/Cancer.