Investigation finds high levels of Radon in western Pennsylvania
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jul 14 2009 at 2:42 PM
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PITTSBURGH – According to a team 4 investigation, more than 50 percent of all areas in western Pennsylvania have high levels of radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer.

It has been estimated that 1 out of 20 homes in the United States has elevated levels of radon. Every year, almost 20,000 lung cancer deaths are caused by radon exposure in homes. Unfortunately, most of the people in the country with high radon levels are not aware of the problem.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says a radon level higher than 4 picocuries per liter can potentially cause health issues. According to the investigation, 57 percent of all western Pennsylvania ZIP codes have levels higher than 4. Some ZIP codes showed an average of as high as 40.

However, the state Department of Environmental Protection will inform people regarding the problem only if the score is 100, which is 25 times the EPA limit.

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