Some homes in western portions of Salt Lake County are showing moderate to high levels of radon, the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, according to a Utah Geological Survey study.
Radon, a radioactive decay product of uranium, is a gas that moves through soil and can penetrate homes through foundation cracks, said geologist Bill Black, who authored the study.Radon, which is harmful only in enclosed spaces, is second only to cigarette smoke in causing lung cancer.
"People should be concerned about it," Black said. "The EPA recommends that everyone test their home, if even in an area that has a low hazard potential."
The highest potential for health hazards lies in some homes along the slopes of the Oquirrh Mountains, where uranium deposits near copper mines may have eroded and been deposited in soil before homes were built, Black said.
Low hazard potentials were indicated in West Valley City, Magna and along the Jordan River near Midvale and Riverton, the study showed. Other areas indicated moderate hazard levels.
Some 120 west county residents volunteered to participate in the study by placing short- or long-term test kits, the size of a small canister, in their basements or lowest floors of their homes, Black said.
One-fifth of those indicated radon levels exceeding those recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency, he said.
The presence of the gas has been detected in Utah for decades. In the late 1950s, homes of uranium miners in central and southwestern Utah were tested.
A 1988 statewide survey measured high indoor radon levels in western portions of the county. That survey, conducted by the Utah Division of Radiation Control, prompted the latest study.
Black recommends residents test their homes for the gas. Short-term test kits, which measure radon levels for two to 90 days, can be purchased from hardware stores for about $10.
The Utah Division of Radiation Control also offers the short-term kits for $8, said director Bill Sinclair. The division offers long-term kits, which measure levels for 90 days to one year, free of charge.
Should results indicate levels above the EPA's standard of 4 picocuries per liter, residents still can reduce risks in their homes, Black said.
Sub-slab ventilation, which uses a fan to draw radon from soil underneath the home, can be implemented for less than $1,000.