First in a series

First in a series

It echoes an earlier warning by Surgeon General C. Everett Koop of the nationwide health danger from radon gas. That report called radon gas the second leading cause, behind smoking, of lung cancer in the United States.

In a survey compiled by the district health department, 22 of 51 homes tested in the county, or 43 percent, were above the maximum recommended exposure level.

Dr. Einarson cautioned that the sample was compiled from homes which requested testing and therefore does not represent a true random sample. But, he added, “Though it may not be a good statistical sample, I can’t say that the data is not good.”

He said that the data was largely based on the result of activated charcoal testing kits, which is the least accurate method of radon testing.

Despite those caveats. Dr. Einarson suggested that county residents should test their homes with the activated charcoal testing kits. Since the county lies in a mountainous area with bedrock close to the surface “we ■ would expect to see more homes with problems.” An initial screening to detect possible radon contamination should definitely be done, he said.

That prediction of increased risk because of the underlying rock presence near the surface was borne out when the results were compared with surrounding counties. Madison County, also on the edge of the mountains, had the next highest percentage of problem homes: 32 percent. Fauquier and Culpeper counties had 23 and 27 percent, respectively. of homes above the recommended safety level. Orange County was the lowest in the health district with 22 percent of homes testing outside the safe range.

Radon is a naturally occurring, inert gas, a byproduct of the decay of radioactive elements in the soil and underlying rock, ft filters throughthe.stfil ipto a house through