PITTSBURGH — An effort to raise awareness about the dangers of radon is underway in Pittsburgh.
Workers were out at a house in Homewood to install a radon detection and control kit for a family. They invited representatives from different health organizations to come out and see it.
“Overall, the thing that we’re doing here is to put this system in for the Elders and it kind of gives some awareness as to how this is done and the need for this to be done in some of the neighborhoods where people, maybe, don’t have a lot of money to put these in,” said John Mallon with Radon Detection and Control.
Experts noted radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking and naturally comes up from the ground, usually in basements.
“It’s a radiation that’s in your basement. It comes in from the ground, so it’s naturally occurring,” said Manallon.
They warned that around one in four homes has radon, which typically gets trapped inside the house because people keep their houses closed for heating and cooling purposes.
Jackie Nixon, a lung cancer survivor, said she hopes spreading the word about radon will help reduce sicknesses caused by radon.
She said it can be expensive to test for radon and is calling for a solution to that problem.
“Bottom line is we have to come up with some way to get these folks what is needed in these neighborhoods,” said Nixon.
Radon Detection and Control has installed over 50,000 systems in homes in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Nixon hopes to see that number rise.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW,