Almost every county has a radon problem — DHEC official

Health authorities warn that radon, a naturally occurring gas dispersed by outdoor air, can reach harmful levels when trapped inside a building.  South Carolina DHEC says radon can only be detected by performing a home test and once found, radon problems can be fixed.  Rhonda Thompson, chief of the DHEC bureau of air quality, says, “Elevated levels of radon have been found in homes in almost every county of South Carolina.  The only way to know if a home has high radon levels is to test.”  EPA estimates that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year nationally.  Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the country after smoking, and the health risks are greater for smokers.  The South Carolina Radon Program offers one free radon test kit per home that can be requested at www.scdhed.gov/radon.  Test kits may be purchased for $17 from the National Radon Program (www.sosradon.org 800/767-7236.)