Lets Make Your Home Healthy

A South Huntsville couple is trying to get answers after their apartment complex says they were exposed to high levels of radon. Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. However, in a WHNT Taking Action Investigation, we learned getting those radon test results isn't easy because Alabama law doesn't require property owners to disclose that type of information to tenants.

You can not see radon gas. It does not have color or smell, but it can kill you. If inhaled, radon gas decay products (polonium-218 and polonium-214) can penetrate the cells of lungs and increase the risk of lung tumors. The alpha radiation from radon decay chain have become a concern for The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) which is the part of the World Health Organization (WHO). Based on sufficient information and research data IARC classifies Radon as a “carcinogenic to humans” since its progeny can cause lung cancer. According to the Maryland Department of Public Health and Environment lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in MD, accounting for 26.9% of all cancer deaths. Everybody knows that smoking may lead to lung cancer. However, exposure to radioactive radon gas in the home is the leading cause of lunge cancer in non-smokers. That said, at least 60 percent of lung cancers diagnosed today occur in those who either have never smoked or quit

That was the diagnosis for the teenage daughter of April Bermingham when she was just 15-years-old. Living in Florida, April, her husband, and three other children decided to move to middle Tennessee just over a year ago for the sole purpose of being close to one of the nation's best pediatric hospitals; Vanderbilt Medical Center. April and the family picked up and moved here just 13-months-ago, finding a rental unit until they found the right home. In the process, the family found out April was pregnant and they also found a home for the family. April and her husband signed the contract to close on their new home last month and things looked good for the soon to be family of seven. But then the inspection came back after closing on the home. The Radon levels were higher than what is considered safe. April's home recorded a measurement of 6 pCi/L (picocuries per liter). 4 pCi/L is what is considered high by the EPA , though lower levels still pose cancer risk. The col