Radon testing can cut cancer risk and save lives

Jack Cooper had the scare of his life in 2011 when his son was diagnosed with leukemia. Knowing the link between radon and leukemia, he started Des Moines Radon to test for and remove the dangerous radioactive gas from residences to protect other families. He has spent the last 13 years helping Iowans reduce the risk of cancer lurking silently in their homes.

The vast majority of homes in Iowa have elevated radon levels — 71% compared to 6% nationally. The glaciers that went through Iowa thousands of years ago gifting Iowa its rich soil left something far more sinister behind.

An estimated four hundred Iowans die every year from lung cancer caused by radon. “For people who smoke, their risk for lung cancer goes up tenfold if they also have elevated radon levels in their home,” Liz Orton, Outreach Coordinator at Iowa Cancer Consortium told me. ”Of course, quitting smoking is a great thing to do to reduce your risk, but testing your home for radon and mitigating if necessary is a quick and easy way to reduce your lung cancer risk.”

“Every county in Iowa is at risk for high radon, which means that every home in Iowa needs to be tested for radon and mitigated if levels are found to be 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher.” Orton describes how widespread the problem is in Iowa. “It’s estimated that 5 in 7 homes in Iowa have elevated radon levels”

Radon is simply a part of life of living in Iowa. But with proper mitigation, it doesn’t need to be a deadly threat.

State Rep. Hans Wilz’s mom passed from cancer when he was a toddle. It affected her in a lot of ways, including causing her to lose her sight and not be able to lay eyes on her son. But Wilz emphasizes the positive “But she did get to hold me.” He understands that everyone is affected by cancer, and therefore the importance of continuing to move radon legislation forward. “That's just the bottom line. Whether you had it or not, you know someone who has had it.”

He is looking holistically at ways to be efficient in government “We have to look at good investments that have a return on investment that is not always monetary, but (an investment in) lives. And radon policy is one of those things that we can actually show that the more we address it, the more we help Iowans.” He wants to provide tax credits to help Iowans mitigate radon in their homes. “We can avoid health care costs down the road, which saves Iowans’ lives.” The fact that mitigation legislation stalled last year does not deter him. “We got further and the conversations (improved), and I'm going to go back at it again and try to find another way to present it so that they understand that every dollar we spend in mitigation is going to be times 20 in health care savings down the road.”

Jack Cooper wants people to be aware that there are no warning signs when it comes to radon exposure. You can’t smell it, you can’t taste it, you can’t see it, and you don’t experience symptoms like you do with other housing related issues like carbon monoxide or mold. The only way to know is by testing for radon, which he doesn’t want to be a barrier. His company waives the testing fee when a home needs mitigation.

Liz Orton also encourages all Iowans to test their homes. “Every Iowan should test their home for radon, no matter how old the home is, whether or not it has a basement, and whether or not it’s a single-family home, an apartment, or a mobile home,” With such a high level of homes with elevated radon levels, it is likely. “If the test comes back as elevated (4 pCi/L or higher), contact a licensed radon mitigation specialist. The fix usually involves sucking radon gas from the foundation up through a pipe with a fan that vents outside your home.”

Rep. Wilz responded to the concern of rising housings costs. “Is it going to drive up home cost by $1000? Seems to me that's a good investment. Again, when it's a 20 time return down the road.” He also feels equity across Iowa is important “We need make sure that we have enough radon companies out there that can actually put the mitigation in for all of Iowa, not just urban Iowa.”

This is a problem that unlike so many others, has a pragmatic solution. But, despite the immediacy and widespread impact on almost all Iowans, the issue is getting buried. We need more voices to reach our Legislature. Orton remembers one person in particular who made a difference. “I think of Gail Orcutt, who was a retired teacher in the Des Moines area. When she was diagnosed, she made it her life’s work to talk to as many policymakers as she could about radon. Sadly, she passed away in 2020. But a bill in her honor — the Gail Orcutt School Radon Safety Bill — was passed in 2022 that requires all Iowa public schools to test their buildings for radon, and to mitigate when necessary.”

If you would like your house tested for radon, you can reach out to the American Lung Association via the Iowa Radon Hotline: 1-800-383-5992 or visit https://www.lung.org/ia/radon-in-iowa

Chris Espersen is a Gazette editorial fellow. chris.espersen@thegazette.com