Another major danger in the home – one that causes serious injury in lung cells, is radon, which silently hides in your living space, killing about 21,000 Americans each year. Although radon is a cancer-causing environmental hazard and not traditionally considered an injury, radon-related deaths can be avoided, and should be considered when assessing your home for safety.

Observe Home Safety Month by installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and safety devices to protect your children, and take other recommended measures to make yourself and your family safer in your home. And don’t forget to test for radon, the number one cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers, the second leading cause of lung cancer overall, and the cause of as many, if not more, home-related deaths than any other single, avoidable cause, including unintentional injuries.

Secondhand smoke is estimated to cause 3,400 lung cancer deaths annually in the U.S. So far, swine flu has killed 4 Americans, and drunk driving kills about 13,000 people each year.  Radon is estimated to cause 25,000 U.S. lung cancer deaths annually.  Laws protect citizens from secondhand smoke and drunk drivers, and millions of dollars are being spent on swine flu prevention, yet except for a very few states that have radon awareness laws, no one is protecting us from deadly radon gas right in our own homes. 

The U.S. EPA, the U.S. Surgeon General, the World Health Organization and many organizations such as the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society acknowledge that the research on radon is sound and compelling. And yet, although most states, municipalities and the federal government do not allow smoking indoors in public buildings, restaurants, ballparks and – in some localities – public parks and beaches, no law exists in the U.S. that requires citizens to protect themselves against radon.

Where is the fear? Where is the outrage? Cigarette packs are required to carry a warning about the dangers of smoking. Where are the labels on homes? Where are the requirements to perform a simple radon test on every home to ensure that it does not have high levels of radon? Would you allow your child to play all day in a smoke-filled room? Any rational person would answer No to that question. But do you know whether your child is playing in a room filled with invisible, odorless radon gas? Most people would also have to answer No to that question.

As of today, four people in the U.S. have tragically died from swine flu, a virus that has caused worldwide fear and provided the impetus for prompt government response. Stores could barely keep up with the sudden increased sales of hand sanitizers. Every day, 68 Americans die as a result of radon exposure in their homes. Where is the fear? Where is the public response? Why are radon test kits not flying off the shelves?

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in 2007, an estimated 12,998 people died in drunk driving related car crashes. Almost twice that number die from exposure to radon in their homes. Why is there no Mothers Against Radon organization demanding action? Possibly because radon does not kill suddenly and dramatically? A radon related death does not make the headlines. It’s a slow, insidious killer.

Why haven’t our government agencies funded by our tax dollars protected homeowners by responding to the magnitude of this threat to America’s health? Agencies tasked with helping low income Americans to live in decent surroundings have ignored or covered up the radon problem while they spend millions and millions on less deadly risks. Radon is the number one environmental killer in the U.S., so don’t you think that the government should do something?

There is an organization, Cancer Survivors Against Radon (CanSAR), that was founded by radon-induced lung cancer victims. Their primary goal is to make the public aware of the effects of radon and to urge them to test their homes. This is a difficult task, made more difficult by apathy at all levels of government and even among some agencies charged with protecting the public from hazards in indoor air. What makes this difficult task even more difficult is that most of its founders have died from their radon-related disease.

CanSAR’s president, Elizabeth Hoffmann, who has never smoked, discovered that she had lung cancer before her 38th birthday – an innocent victim of radon in her home, a killer she was unaware existed. She has spent the last four years crusading for action against radon in statehouses, in Washington and in small towns – all while courageously fighting a disease that is taking her life. Where is the news media? Where are the camera crews? Why isn’t her cause and her courageous battle made public? Certainly not because she hasn’t tried. But no major network morning shows, no major news media outlets at all, have responded to repeated requests from her and her supporters for media coverage.

Are you outraged yet? You should be, because radon-related deaths are preventable. And radon can be found in any home, old or new – even in your home. Even more disturbing is that buyers of new homes might be told that their home has a "passive radon system" or "RRNC" (Radon Resistant New Construction). This does not make a home radon-proof. The only way you can tell whether you are living with radon in your home is to perform a radon test. A home test kit is inexpensive and easy to use, and you will know in little more than a week whether your home has an elevated radon level.

So if you’re outraged, take action.

1. Begin at home. 

• Test for radon.
• If the radon level is 4.0 pCi/L or higher, call a certified radon professional to fix it.
• Consider fixing your home if the radon level is above 2 pCi/L.

2. Get involved.

• Ask your school officials to include radon education in the curriculum
• Call or write to your local and state health departments and demand more programs and action against radon.
• Write to your local, state and federal representatives and to President Obama (sample letters) demanding action and legislation now. U.S. radon policy for the past 25 years has been to have the EPA administer a "voluntary" program. It hasn’t worked. More Americans are dying from lung cancer caused by radon than ever before.

It’s obvious we can’t wait for the government to protect us from the health effects of radon, nor can we wait for the media to spearhead a news campaign. We need to act now to protect our families and ourselves.

Pat Everett
HomeAire

The air in our homes contains contaminants ranging from dust mites to the dander of our more lovable animal companions, such as dogs and cats, to say nothing of more dangerous air contaminants like ozone buildup and cigarettes.  All of these things can cause allergic and asthmatic reactions in certain children.  Helping to clear the air of such pollutants helps greatly with providing allergy relief and asthma relief.

Cleaning the air in your home can begin with such simple steps as washing your carpets, rugs, pets, and other floor coverings regularly.  These activities can provide substantial allergy relief for somebody suffering from a reaction to animal dander or dust mites.  Temperature and humidity control will also help keep dust mites in check.  Additionally allergy-causing pollen will be reduced significantly, especially in those homes with air purifiers and central vacuum systems.

 
These simple steps can make your home air healthier and help your child (and you) sleep more comfortably.

For asthma relief:

• Put stuffed animals in a plastic bag and freeze them to kill dust mites
• Wipe off bath toys to combat mildew
• Tighten leaky faucets to stop mold growth

It is also recommended that the removal of offending triggers from your home’s air be in your arsenal of asthma relief strategies.  Recommended solutions include a central vacuum system, which prevents the dirty air in your vacuum from circulating throughout your home by exhausting it to the outside, as well as air cleaners and purifiers which can also help provide asthma relief by removing airborne particulates.

There is good news, though! There are safe paints that you can use not only in a nursery, but anywhere in your home. Whether you’re repainting your living room, freshening up some dull paint in your bathroom, or even want to paint your furniture, there are some wonderful, eco-friendly, low-VOC paints to help you get the job done beautifully and healthily.

Popular "green lifestyle" blog Jetson Green introduces us to milk paint. Oddly enough, its name sounds like exactly what it is– milk! This paint dates back thousands of years to cave paintings, and there’s a reason it’s withheld the test of time: it’s safe,  it hardens with age, and it’s versatile. It’s created from a mixture of milk and crushed pigments. You can order it dry, and then just add water, stir and paint! Powder generally costs about $45 a gallon. This may sound a bit pricey, but for the safety of your family and the environmental benefits, we think it’s worth it. To find out more about it and where you can get it, try milkpaint.com or realmilkpaint.com.

Stay tuned for our next entry where we’ll be going into a bit more detail about some other safe, interior and exterior eco-friendly paints for your home.

If you’re using a fresh Christmas tree:
The National Christmas Tree Association has a great site dedicated to information for you about proper Christmas tree care. Here are a few important highlights from their tree care guide:

1. Always make a fresh cut straight across your tree’s trunk, about a half inch to an inch from the bottom.
2. Get your tree into fresh water as soon as possible! Provide 1 quart of water per inch in diameter of the base of the trunk
3. Keep your tree away from heaters, fireplaces, heat vents, direct sunlight or other heat generating areas so as to avoid fires and excessive drying.
4. Always turn off your tree lights when you go to bed or leave the house.
5. Never burn any part of your Christmas tree indoors.
6. When your tree has dried out, recycle it.

If you’re using a fake Christmas tree:

1. Follow the same precautions as with a real tree in regard to keeping your tree away from heat sources.
2. Never put electric lights on a metal tree. This could be dangerous.
3. Be sure that you store your tree in an airtight plastic bag off of the floor in a dry area during the rest of the year to prevent mold and dust mites.
4. If your tree is old and visibly dusty or making your allergies flare up, it may be time to invest in a new one. The price is well worth your health.

If you have pets (Many thanks to Nel Liquormen from The Dog Press for this helpful info.): Many of these tips can apply to small children as well, so be on the lookout for these avoidable problems.

1. NO TINSEL! Tinsel is like a magnet for cats and dogs. They love to chew on it, and if they swallow any, it can actually slice their intestines and cause horrible complications or even death.
2. Be wary of the water your tree is sitting in. When sap mixes with the water, your pet may want to take a sip, but the chemicals that the tree was treated with (especially fake spray-on snow or glitter) can taint the water and make your pet sick.
3. Don’t hang any ornaments that could pose as choking hazards on the low branches of your tree. Any wire hooks or other small, jagged pieces can be very risky.
4. Watch out for other Christmas plants. Poinsettias are poisonous as well as any type of lilies, mistletoe, Christmas cactus and holly. Symptoms range from mild stomach upset to much, much worse.
5. Be careful with foods containing chocolate, alcohol, grapes/raisins, or onions. These are all dangerous to pets.
6. Any other holiday decorations like candles, potpourris or plastic wrap should be kept out of reach at all times.