"Radon is a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to cigarette smoking", says Debra Holtzman J.D, M.A, an internationally acclaimed safety and health expert and best-selling author of "The Safe Baby: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Home Safety and Healthy Living" (Sentient Publications, 2009.)  In fact, it is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States.

Debra Holtzman recommends learning about radon and following these important tips to keep your family and pets safe:

1. What is radon? It is an invisible and odorless gas that occurs naturally from the breakdown on uranium. It can be found in soil, rock and air. When breathed outdoors, this gas poses a minimum health risk, but when it becomes trapped in buildings, concentrations build up which can be cause for concern. If the radioactive decay products of radon get trapped in your lungs, they can damage the live cells lining the lungs. Years of this damage can lead to lung cancer.

2. How a home was built and what construction materials were used can affect radon levels. Local geography is another contributing factor. Every state has pockets of high radon levels. Because levels vary from one area to another, the only way to know a specific home's radon level is to test it. It is also possible for your home to have an elevated radon level while a neighboring home does not.

3. Radon can enter your home through openings around water pipes, gas pipes sump pumps and drains, and it can also enter through cracks and holes in the walls and foundation. The water supply is another possibility.

4. Test the Air in your home. Because of the serious health threat posed by radon, the EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon.  Fortunately, testing is easy and inexpensive. Your local health department may offer free kits or kits at a reduced price. You can also purchase kits at a local hardware or home improvement store. The price range is $10 to $45. Insist that your child's childcare center or school be tested.

5. Your can perform your own test or you can hire a radon tester in your area.  Your state radon office can supply you with a list of qualified testing kit companies and radon testers. 

(The EPA recommends that you fix your home if you have a radon level of 4 pCi/L or more.) 

6. If you have tested the air in your home and found a significantly high radon problem, it may be a good idea to test the water, also, as a possible source of radon entry. If you are on a public water supply, call the utility company for more information. If your water comes from a private well, contact a lab that is certified to measure radiation to test your water, especially if you live in an area that is known to have high levels of radon in water.

7.  Don't despair if testing indicates elevated levels of radon in your home. There are a variety of ways to lower radon levels.  Your state's radon office can provide you with a list of qualified radon mitigation contractors

The cost for reducing radon levels in existing home typically range from $800 to $2500. 

The average cost to install radon-resistant features during new home construction is $350 to $500 but the cost can be as low as $150, depending on the type of home construction. This is the best and most cost-effective approach in any home, anywhere.

Debra Holtzman has a master's degree in occupational health and safety, is an attorney and is the mother of two children and a dog. She has appeared on major TV news and radio shows around the world, and was chosen an "Everyday Hero" by Reader's Digest Magazine. She teaches infant safety and CPR classes at a regional hospital. Her newest book, "The Safe Baby: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Home Safety and Healthy Living" (Sentient Publications, 2009) provides lots of money savings tips and easy-to-implement solutions to provide a safe, healthy, and green living lifestyle for children and pets. It also shows you how to get back to the basics of childrearing.

   Interviews may be arranged via http://thesafetyexpert.com