Americans face a problem in many areas of the country today, a radioactive killer that is so circumspect that it leaves no odor trail or even the faint glow from an ultraviolet light. The radioactive killer is Radon and it has been known for thousands of years to appear to give “rejuvenation” for skin. In fact, it is decaying it.

Radon is known as an element on the Periodic Table and exists because of the decaying of Uranium–it is one of Uranium’s radioactive isotopes that is given off during the decaying of the element. Because Uranium decays so slowly and because of the long half life of Radon (the half life being the amount of time before half is gone), Radon will exist for millenia.

Radon, various environmental U.S. agencies have warned, poses a great threat, specifically in seven states and three Indian lands. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nearly 1 in 3 homes in those areas had screening levels over 4 pCi/L, which is the EPA’s recommended action level for Radon.

Radon has been considered up until this century as a cure for many ills, including depression, skin and hair loss, and other beauty areas. The thought for many centuries had been–if you have an ill, specifically an ill that resulted in skin deformation, it was time to go to a “radon spa” or take some pills with Radon.

In fact, popular advertisements at the beginning of the 20th century popularized radon further, touting it as a panacea for all kinds of ills, whether mental health related or physical. This led to the growth of “radioactive spas” which were used to treat any number of physical ailments, many even in the United States.

It wasn’t until further research that it was determined that Radon caused cancer, as its radioactive elements, when absorbed into the skin, caused the release of free radicals into the system, which led to the decaying of cells and the attack of the cells onto their host, the human body.

Surgeons have shown, researchers have proven, and the Surgeon General has warned that Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, behind only nicotine consumption within smoking. It is the leading cause of cancer from non-smoking causes and kills tens of thousands of people each year.

Radon is most notably found in low lying pools of water, whether in the flooding of a basement or in a lake in the middle of a depressed field. Radon accumulates there in the water and infiltrates the house as an odorless, tasteless, and invisible gas that spreads radioactive decay wherever it goes.

For many, it’s absolutely harmless and little will come of it. But for many, they will develop lung cancer and other ills associated with radon poisoning. Those who have made themselves aware of the issues regarding radon can also purchase a detector system. This is almost necessary in the seven states and three Indian territories.

Those territories have a high degree of Radon and must take precautions regarding the infiltration of radon into their homes. Other resources have called them “radon test kits” and they can be found at hardware stores at the local and national level. They are fairly inexpensive, sometimes running for less than $20.

Radon testing with an approved alarm can give results in as little as one to two days time, though some are more accurate if they are run for a longer period of time. Radon test results will be displayed in that same symbols as above, the pCi/L. Radon tests that show a rating above a 4 on that pCi/L scale are above the EPA’s recommended action point.

While radon testing is not a huge industry, there are companies that provide residential radon testing within communities. There are even some in Denver and they can be found by searching Radon Testing Denver CO. Residential radon testing can find the source of the issue, which is usually at the point closest to the ground.

Residential radon testing by competent companies can get the job done quickly and effectively, while inducing minimal wasteful practices. The right company who can do residential radon testing can reduce health defects as a result of radon.

Call them if you feel the need to.