Jan. 12--Thankfully, Jon Haney knew about the danger slowly building in his basement. When Haney purchased his Exeter Township house in September, a routine pre-settlement inspection revealed unsafe levels of radon in the basement. He received money from the seller to install a radon abatement system. The system Haney recently installed creates a draft in the basement, preventing the carcinogenic gas from building up, and vents it into the outside air. "It gives me peace of mind," he said. This month, the federal Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Protection are encouraging homeowners to get their homes tested for radon.

But most homeowners across the country have not tested their homes for radon, said Bonnie Smith, an EPA spokeswoman.

"Our research shows that still 80 percent of homes need radon testing," he said.

What is radon and why is it a problem?

Radon is produced from the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil.

This odorless, colorless gas can make you seriously sick, Smith said.

"Many people are not aware that breathing radon can cause lung cancer," Smith said. "The science behind it is strong. Radon deaths can be prevented."

Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking, responsible for an estimated 20,000 deaths a year, Smith said.

How does it get inside?

Radon seeps in through cracks in basements and foundations and can accumulate in homes and other structures.

But radon is odorless and colorless, meaning people could be exposed to radiation and not know it, Smith said. Testing is the only way to know if radon is in the house, she said.

How can you test and fix the problem?

Radon test kits are available at many hardware stores, Smith said. Samples from the kits are sent to testing laboratories, and homeowners are mailed the results, Smith said. Further treatment could be needed if high levels are recorded, she said.

Abatement systems run between $800 and $1,000, depending on the type, said Len Kelsey, president of Radon Specialists LLC, the Stroudsburg, Monroe County, company that installed the unit in Haney's house.

More people are paying attention to the radon threat, thanks to a push by real estate agents to have homes tested for the gas during the sales process, Kelsey said. However, some who have owned their homes for a number of years may not have had their homes tested, he said.

"It can be out of sight, out of mind," he said.

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