Iowa has the highest average for indoor radon concentration in the nation, accordingto the University of Iowa.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reportsthe radioactive gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon is colorless, odorless and tasteless, so people may breath the gas for years before it's detected.
Wednesday, the Iowa Senate will vote on legislation that requires builders to construct all new homes with radon mitigation pipes, which draw the gas away from a house. If radon is detected, the mitigation system is activated by installing a fan.
Radon mitigation specialist Lonnie Mallon of Mallon Construction Services in Janesville says building houses with mitigation piping could save home owners more than $1,000.
"I don’t think hardly anybody knows what this is all about," Mallon says. "There’s a few people out there who do, and the builders really don’t want to bring it up...because it adds a few more dollars to the cost of construction."
The Centers for Disease Controls saysradon is a naturally occurring gas that results from the radioactive decay of uranium, which is found in soil, rocks and occasionally ground water. The gas enters a home through cracks or cavities in walls, floors or pipes.
"Unless we get ahead of this, people are going to be exposed to radon when they don’t know it," says Gail Orcutt, a radon-induced lung cancer survivor from Pleasant Hill. "Unfortunately people building new homes think that makes them safe...when that has nothing to do with it."
Orcutt, a retired teacher, says she would also like radon testing in schools. People can contact county health departments to purchase a test kit.
In addition to the mitigation legislation, a bill giving home buyers easier access to radon tests conducted by the seller also passed out of a Senate subcommittee Monday.