Free Republic

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) — Officials are urging homeowners to test for radon, a natural radioactive gas that can lead to health risks if left unchecked. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, studies have shown that radon is a carcinogen that can lead to lung cancer “Radon is known as a silent killer because you can’t see, taste, or smell it in the home, but the good news is there’s an easy way to test for it,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. “Testing for radon should be done in the home, as well as in businesses,...

Full Title: Wake County notifying thousands about possibly unsafe drinking water in private wells. Uranium, radon levels exceed limits. RALEIGH — Wake County is notifying thousands of households on private wells that their drinking water may have unhealthy levels of radiological chemicals like uranium and radon. An estimated one in five private wells in eastern Wake County may exceed safe drinking-water standards for some chemicals, officials said at a Monday news conference. They plan to notify 19,000 property owners by mail starting this week. People don't need to panic, said Evan Kane, the county's groundwater protection and wells manager. The...

Levels of radon, an invisible, odorless radioactive gas, have been rising measurably in Pennsylvania since the controversial practice of fracking started there, researchers reported Thursday. The study cannot directly link fracking with the raised radon levels. But whatever is going on, residents need to be aware of the rising levels of the gas and take action to get it out of their homes, the researchers say. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., killing an estimated 21,000 people a year. It occurs naturally in many types of rocks, and many people who have bought or sold...

Radiation Fears Lead Homeowners to Request Inspection; Most Cite Little Cause for Concern When Stephen Gladstone read reports last week that granite countertops may be a source of potentially harmful levels of radiation, two concerns immediately entered his mind. The first had to do with the generous 7-foot-by-6-foot slab of granite covering the central island in his own kitchen. The second had to do with the flood of phone calls he knew he would be receiving in the following days as a result of the news. Gladstone is chief inspector and president of Stonehollow Home Inspection in Stamford, Conn., and...

In what seems to be a genuine concern of the effects of radon emissions in residential homes. A certain website from a non-profit organization out of Houston has made it a point to imply without scientific proof, that natural stone could be a major contributor of radon in a household. The allusion that seems to be made, that natural stone installed in your home is dangerous to your health is raised repeatedly on the website and in a recent local Houston TV news program. It’s interesting to note that the two major contributors of this non-profit organization are manufacturers of...