Your home could be making you sick.

At least 1 in 3 homes have elevated levels of radon, an odorless and colorless gas that can accumulate in the ground near homes.

Enough of it inside a home could cause inhabitants to develop lung cancer. In fact, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Throughout the month of January, the Weber-Morgan Health Department and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality will hold a two-hour workshop designed to educate the public about radon.

“Radon is an interesting gas,” said Eleanor Divver, radon coordinator for the state of Utah. “Because of the naturally occurring breakdown of uranium that’s in the soil and rocks, it’s able to find its way into the cracks and crevices of our homes. And it doesn’t matter how new or old your home is; it can affect every home.”

The workshops will be held at four locations throughout the month.

“We will have put together a two-hour tutorial that will educate people about radon and what it is and where it comes from,” Divver said. “We also will have a couple of lung cancer survivors who will speak, as well as a lung oncologist who will talk about it and answer any questions.”

Divver said while no one is immune to having radon in their home, people with chronic pulmonary issues such as asthma, bronchitis or those who smoke should be especially vigilant about having their home tested.

“People can purchase the kit from our website for $10.95,” Divver said. “If your home has elevated levels, you’ll need to install a mitigation system, which costs about $1,800 to $2,000.”

While that may seem expensive, Divver said the treatment could save a life — even the lives of pets.

“We’ve had people whose pets have developed lung cancer because of radon,” she said. “The overall message here is to test for radon, fix the problem, protect your family and save a life.”

To order a kit, go to radon.utah.gov.

The workshops will be held:

• Jan. 11, 5 p.m., Morgan County Offices, lower level, 90 W. Young St., Morgan.
• Jan. 11, 7 p.m., Ogden Valley Library, 131 S. 7400 East, Huntsville.
• Jan. 18, 7 p.m., Ogden Main Library, 2464 Jefferson Ave.
• Jan. 25, 7 p.m., Southwest Library 2039 W. 4000 South, Roy.

There will be a limited supply of free tests for those who attend the workshops.

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