CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – Smoking and vaping are key causes of lung cancer, but a gas lurking underneath your home could be a problem too.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Southwest Virginia.
The radioactive gas is released from the ground due to decaying uranium that lies in rock formations across the Roanoke Valley.
New River Health District offers radon test kits to help determine if high levels are seeping into your home.
Population Health Community Coordinator Pamela Ray said if there are high levels, then a homeowner can do radon remediation where an engineer will inspect the home.
“Then take that gas and develop a mechanism for it to be removed from the house and put outside where it becomes much less of a problem for anyone in the area,” she said.
Most newly built homes are tested for radon ahead of time.
But concerned homeowners can grab a self-kit from the New River Health District and test for two days and send off the sampler to a lab for results.