CU Cancer Center Offers Free Radon Testing Kits to the Colorado Community

The statistics about radon publicity and lung most cancers in Colorado are sobering: Lung cancer is the main reason behind cancer-related deaths within the state, and radon publicity is the second main reason behind lung most cancers, after tobacco smoke.

“Colorado is among the many prime 10 states with the very best radon ranges throughout the nation, and about 50% of houses in Colorado have radon ranges which are greater than the advisable degree set by the Environmental Safety Company,” says Jan LoweryPhD, assistant director for dissemination and implementation within the University of Colorado Cancer Center’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE).

Publicity is in every single place

Radon — an invisible, odorless, radioactive gasoline that’s naturally produced by the breakdown of uranium — is especially prevalent in Colorado due to the quantity of uranium within the soil. Within the Forties and ’50s, Colorado was a key website for uranium mining. At the moment, any home constructed on soil — significantly homes with basements — are weak to radon publicity that might doubtlessly trigger lung most cancers.

“My home is constructed on a basement, and radon can seep in both by the sump pump or any small breaks or cracks within the partitions,” says José Barrón, senior neighborhood outreach and engagement coordinator in COE. “When it will get caught in our houses and we continually breathe it in, it may get lodged within the cells in our lungs and launch radioactive vitality into the cells. That finally causes them to mutate and develop most cancers.”

Addressing the issue

To boost consciousness of the difficulty and assist economically deprived Coloradans start the method of testing for radon and mitigating their publicity, if crucial, the COE in spring 2023 started distributing free radon check kits at 365 Health Fairs across the state. Individuals place the kits of their houses for 90 days, then mail them to a lab for evaluation.

COE members are there each step of the best way to assist neighborhood members by the method.

“Something that our workplace does when it comes to neighborhood outreach and engagement, we at all times wish to full the complete continuum of care,” Barrón says. “On this case, we name to make it possible for they began the check and that it’s within the correct space. As soon as the testing interval is finished, we additionally name them to remind them to show it in.”

If the check reveals radon ranges greater than the advisable allowable degree, the COE helps join members with the Colorado Division of Public Well being and Atmosphere, which gives low-income radon mitigation assistance.

Outreach to scale back most cancers

The COE over the previous 12 months has given out stool-based colorectal cancer detection kits at well being festivals and related occasions; including the radon kits is simply one other prevention measure the workplace is utilizing to decrease the most cancers burden in Colorado, Lowery says.

“Most individuals that we converse to at festivals are interested by radon ranges of their houses, however they’ve by no means taken motion to finish a check,” she says. “It’s good to offer them these sources.”

It’s vital to coach the general public on the dangers of radon publicity, Lowery says, due to the excessive prevalence of radon in Colorado and the related most cancers danger, and since we will do one thing about it.

“We are able to’t at all times management danger,” she says. “A whole lot of issues in our surroundings trigger most cancers, however that is one thing we will truly mitigate. There are methods to do it, and it’s comparatively inexpensive. Our staff is attempting to help individuals who can’t afford it to check for radon and discover sources to scale back publicity of their houses.”