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High levels of radon in southwest Minnesota lead public health to offer free test kits

The Daily Globe - 1/20/2019

Jan. 19--WORTHINGTON -- Staying cooped up inside during the winter months may not be good for your health -- in more ways than one.

As winter weather forces many to stay inside with the furnace running and the windows tightly shut, radon -- a colorless, odorless radioactive gas -- may be lurking inside your home. Radon is considered the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, with 21,000 deaths per year attributed to lung cancer from radon. Southwest Minnesota is Ground Zero, not just in the state, but in the nation, for high levels of radon.

Blame it on our soils.

"Southwest Minnesota has extremely high levels of radon -- some of the highest levels in the country, if not the world," according to Daniel Tranter, who works within the indoor air unit at the Minnesota Department of Health.

Data from 2010 through 2016 shows that more than 73 percent of the properties tested in Nobles County had radon levels greater than 4 picocuries of radon per liter of air, which is the level at which radon mitigation is highly recommended. Neighboring counties showed equally high percentages of homes with excessive radon, with Rock County at 82 percent, Murray County at 81 percent, Jackson County at nearly 77 percent, Cottonwood County at nearly 76 percent and Pipestone County at 70 percent.

The density of soils and the types of minerals and rocks deposited on the region by glaciers lead to the production of higher levels of the radioactive gas. During the winter months, home heating systems draw in radon gas from the soil, increasing radon levels inside the home.

"Homes are closed up most of the year," Tranter said. "We have long heating seasons and then buildings are closed up in the summer for cooling. Those two together explain why we have such high levels (of radon) in Minnesota and -- in particular -- southwest Minnesota."

While this area of the state has some of the highest levels of radon, it also has some of the lowest rates of radon testing.

In that same 2010 to 2016 testing period, Tranter said Minnesota averaged 79 tests per every 10,000 homes. However, in the four counties of far southwest Minnesota -- Rock, Nobles, Pipestone and Murray -- the average number of homes tested was about half that.

Public Health officials with Nobles County Community Services want to see that turn around, and they're offering free radon tests for people to test their living space.

The simple radon test can be taken by hanging the provided sampler at normal breathing level (between 2 feet and 5 feet off the floor), where it will not be disturbed, in a well-used area of the home such as living room or bedroom. Rooms with high humidity such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and damp basements should be avoided.

"We want to know what the air is like in the space where you're breathing," Tranter said, adding that the test should only be done in the basement if there are bedrooms or family rooms where people spend a lot of time.

The sampler must be hung in the home for a minimum of three days, up to no more than seven days.

"The testing kit only collects data from the last three days," Tranter said.

Public health offices in each county have the radon test kits available, though some may charge a fee. In Nobles County, residents can stop by the Community Services department at the Nobles County Government Center to request a kit, according to Peter Ekadu, public health specialist. Along with the kit, individuals will receive a guide and a link to radon information at health.state.mn.us/radon.

Once the sampler has hung in the home for a minimum of three days, it should be returned to the provided packaging and dropped in the mail (no postage is required). Please fill in your name, address and, if desiring a faster response, an email address, in the space provided on the envelope to receive your results.

In instances where excessive levels of radon are detected, the property owner will be asked to complete a second test. In addition to the kits available through public health, radon test kits can also be purchased at some local hardware stores, and online at mn.radon.com.

"You can also hire a professional to measure radon," Tranter said. "They can do more detailed testing."

Radon remediation will require hiring a professional to install a radon mitigation system. This includes installation of a fan to pull air from the soil and exhaust it outdoors through a pipe.

Tranter said homes built within the last nine years were required to be radon resistant, although about one in five still have problems with higher levels of the gas.

"If you're buying a house, look for disclosure of any data on radon mitigation," he said, encouraging people to do radon testing in a home before they rent or buy.

Any readings over 4 picocuries of radon per liter of air should be dealt with, Tranter said, while readings of 2 to 3.9 picocuries per liter should be monitored and considered for action.

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