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Radon Hazard in Reno Area Homes and Businesses

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Why Worry About Radon Gas?

The simple answer to that question is "Because it can kill you." Radon is a naturally-occuring odorless, colorless, and tasteless radioactive gas, produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. If it enters buildings, it can become concentrated enough to be a health hazard. You won't even know you are being exposed unless you test for its presence in your home. Other buildings can have elevated radon levels as well.

Radon exposure can cause lung cancer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), around 21,000 people in the United States die each year from radon-caused lung cancer (second only to smoking). That's more people than die from exposure to secondhand smoke, drunk driving, falls in the home, drowning, or house fires.

Because of the geology here (lots of granite), people living in the Reno region are at a high risk for radon exposure. Fortunately, it is cheap and easy to test for radon in your home. If a problem is detected, mitigation measures can be taken to keep this silent killer outside where it is harmlessly dispersed. Check this Nevada Statewide Radon Potential map and you'll see that Reno and much of the surrounding area are among the highest risk zones. Statewide, one in four homes tested show radon concentrations at or above the EPA action level.

January is Radon Action Month

Lung cancer from radon exposure is preventable. The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension "Nevada Radon Education Program" is available to help educate the public about the radon exposure hazard. Free home radon test kits are available from a variety of sources. Should testing find unhealthy levels of radon, the situation can be fixed.

Free short-term test kits are available at these and other Nevada locations. Offices are open to the public by appointment only. Long-term test kits are also available at locations designated with *. Test kits are free to Nevada residents from January through February.

• *Carson City County Cooperative Extension, 2621 Northgate Ln., Ste. 15, Carson City. (775) 887-2252.
• *Churchill County Cooperative Extension, 111 Sheckler Rd., Fallon. (775)423-5121.
• *Clark County Cooperative Extension, 8050 Paradise Rd., Ste. 100, Las Vegas. (702) 222-3130
• Clark County Cooperative Extension Northeast, 1897 N. Moapa Valley Blvd., Logandale. (702) 397-2604
• Clark County Cooperative Extension Northeast Satellite Office, 155 N. Willow St., Mesquite. (702) 346-7215
• *Clark A.D. Guy Knowledge Center, 817 N St., Las Vegas. (702) 998-0223
• *Douglas County Cooperative Extension, 1325 Waterloo Ln., Gardnerville. (775) 782-9960.
• Genoa Town Office, 2289 Main St., Genoa. (775) 782-8696.
• *Elko County Cooperative Extension, 701 Walnut St., Elko. (775) 738-7291.
• Eureka County Cooperative Extension, 461 S. Main St., Eureka. (775) 237-6134.
• *Humboldt County Cooperative Extension, 1085 Fairgrounds Rd., Winnemucca. (775) 623-6304.
• Lander County Cooperative Extension, 815 N. Second St., Battle Mountain. (775) 635-5565.
• Lincoln County Cooperative Extension, 360 Lincoln St., Caliente. (775) 726-3109.
• *Lyon County Cooperative Extension, 504 S. Main St., Yerington. (775) 463-6541.
• Mineral County Cooperative Extension, 205 S. A St., Hawthorne. (775) 945-3444.
• Nye County Cooperative Extension, #1 Frankie St. Old Courthouse, Tonopah. (775) 482-6794.
• Nye County Southern, 1651 E. Calvada Blvd., Pahrump. (775) 727-5532.
• *Pershing County Cooperative Extension, 810 Sixth St., Lovelock. (775) 273-2923.
• Storey County Senior Center, 100 Mill St., Virginia City. (775) 847-0957.
• Storey County Lockwood Senior/Community Center, 800 Peri Ranch Rd., Lockwood. (775) 342-2840.
• *Washoe County Cooperative Extension, 4955 Energy Way, Reno. (888) 723-6610.
• UNR Campus, Fleischmann Agriculture Building Suite 201.
• Evergreen Home Loans, 5335 Kietzke Ln. #210, Reno. (775) 300-7878.
• Balanced Health Solutions, 1624 E. Prater Way #103, Sparks. (775) 358-6824.
• Incline Village Recreation Center, 980 Incline Way, Incline Village. (775) 832-1300.
• White Pine County Cooperative Extension, 995 Campton St., Ely. (775) 293-6599.

• Long-Term Radon Test Kit Request Form

More Information About Radon in the Reno Area

Become better informed about radon by following these links and visiting the Nevada Radon Education Program website. Find out if radon is a hazard in your home and learn how to reduce the risk if it is.

• Radon Information for the Home Buyer
• Radon Information for the Home Seller
• Radon Information for the Real Estate Professional
• How to Fix a Radon Problem / Radon Mitigation
• Certified Radon Measurement Professionals
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Radon Information
• EPA Citizen's Guide to Radon

The Nevada Radon Education Program is a program of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and is funded by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. More than 23,000 Nevada homes have been tested since the program began in 2007.

Source: Nevada Radon Education Program.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension in Reno. Photo © Stan White

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