• Radon is a radioactive gas that can increase your risk of developing cancer.radioactive image by Soja Andrzej from Fotolia.com
  
  

Reasons to Test

• Radon is a highly radioactive gas that is both colorless and odorless. According to a 1999 report from the National Academy of Sciences, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 1 out of 15 homes in the US has elevated radon levels, and that radon exposure is responsible for 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year. The gas is hazardous even at low levels. The American Medical Association and the EPA recommend you test your home for radon.
  
  

Reasons not to Test

• If your home has recently been tested for radon, it's unlikely the levels will have changed. Although radon exposure is a potential health hazard nationwide, some areas have more problems with radon than others.
  
  

Bottom Line

• If your home's radon levels haven't been checked yet, it's highly recommended that you test them now. Radon exposure is a problem all over the U.S., not just in specific regions. Radon testing is cheap, simple and could save your life by reducing your risk of lung cancer. A wide variety of "do-it-yourself" radon testing kits are available from hardware stores and companies on the Web. When you purchase a home, you should always have it tested for radon if the seller has not already done so.