Radon Quick Facts

• Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and chemically inert radioactive gas.
• Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe.
• It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation.
• Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels.
• Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (behind smoking) and is estimated to cause 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year.