The Story I've Heard Too Many Times

It was October 2017 and I was scheduled to pick up a radon test in the Portage Lakes area. The neighborhood was built in the late 1990's with a brick exterior, large spacious rooms and an open floor plan inside. The family room offered a scenic view with windows on three walls which looked over the nicely landscaped backyard. The home inspection was completed earlier in the week and picking up the radon was the last of the services we needed to complete.

The home owner was a pleasant and friendly older lady who told me a story about how she had to sell her beautiful dream home because her husband died of cancer earlier in the year. She went on to say he died of lung cancer and then asked, "What is the radon level in my home? I understand radon can cause lung cancer."

The first home I ever tested was my parents' home. A continuous radon test was conducted on two floors, the basement and the first floor. The radon level in my parents' basement was 19p/CiL and the level on the first floor was 20p/CiL! On a personal level, it is alarming to know that you and your family have been exposed to this deadly gas day and night for years and years. Holiday after holiday, birthday after birthday, me and my family lived in a house that is equivalent to smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day.

As a Radon Activist, I will do what I can to educate and provide testing for this horrible radio-active gas that kills an estimated 21,000 people per year. Not all states have elevated radon level, however Ohio has high radon levels due to the uranium rich soil under houses and buildings.

Amy & Terry Kleptach

P.S. Her radon level was 30p/CiL