Radon

January is National Radon Action Month. Now is the time to protect yourself and your family against the harmful effects of radon.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year.

Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that can reach harmful levels when trapped in a home. Because you cannot see or smell radon, people tend to downplay the health effects and ignore the possibility that there might be a silent killer in their homes.

Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple and inexpensive. Residents should test their homes during the winter months, when there tends to be less air circulation and radon is more likely to build to harmful levels. For a free radon test kit, email Al at ark249@cornell.edu or leave a message for him at 518-765-3529. A radon test kit with instructions and educational information can be mailed or picked up at our Voorheesville office.

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How Radon Gets Into Your Home

Air pressure inside your home is usually lower than pressure in the soil around your home's foundation. This pressure differential originates form indoor-outdoor temperature differences. When radon gas is present in the soil, your house acts like a vacuum and draws radon in through cracks and other openings. This phenomenon is also known as the “stack effect.”

Radon gets into your home through:

1. Cracks in solid floors
2. Construction joints
3. Cracks in walls
4. Gaps in suspended floors
5. Gaps around service pipes
6. Cavities inside walls
7. Your water supply

Radon Resistant Construction

If you are planning to build a new home, talk to your builder about radon-resistant construction. Simple, built-in features are much less expensive than fixing a radon problem later.
The free EPA publication, Building Radon Out-A Step-by-Step Guide On How To Build Radon-Resistant Homes (2001), can be ordered from the EPA website.

Find a builder that uses Radon-Resistant construction techniques.

Last updated January 5, 2026