Where is the radon risk in Colorado?
It's everywhere!

You may know that smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer in the United States, but did you know that radon exposure is the second leading cause? In honor of November Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we've been highlighting news on how people around the country are sharing info and promoting awareness. Today's is from Colorado.

Uranium-bearing rock found in Colorado likely killing residents
Source: By Spencer McKee, Out There Colorado 

If you've been living in Colorado for long, there's a good chance you've already heard the term 'radon.' A naturally occurring radioactive gas that causes cancer, elevated levels of radon are common in Colorado and it's likely that the ample amount of granite in Colorado is to blame.

Radon is the result of a breakdown of uranium in the soil, and in Colorado, that involves uranium-bearing granite deposits found around the state. As radon travels from these granite deposits in the soil before dispersing into the atmosphere, the dose of radiation that comes with it can be harmful to humans along the way.

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, radon moves into Colorado homes in dangerous concentrations because homes block the path from escaping ground-based radon to the atmosphere. With a home typically being warmer than the surrounding soil, also with a lower air pressure, gases from the soil tend to move into the home. This includes radon.

As radon moves through a home, it typically travels through one of several common routes, including cracks in the foundation, spaces in basement walls, crawl spaces, and other small openings.

When it comes to where the radon risk is at in Colorado, it's easy to remember – it's everywhere.

Not only is the entire state considered to be 'zone one,' which basically means that indoor radon is potentially higher than the EPA recommended threshold of 4 pCi/L, it's also been estimated that around 73 percent of homes in the state may have elevated levels of this dangerous gas (average radon level in Colorado is estimated at 6.8 pCi/L). READ MORE 

Source: Out There Colorado