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Is there radon in your home? What to know about the odorless gas that can lead to lung cancer
Radon lurking in your home can have a devastating effect on your health. January is Radon Action Month, and experts are trying to save lives by raising awareness about the gas.
Radon is an odorless, colorless, radioactive gas that is naturally released from rocks, soil and water. And it’s the leading cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers, according to the American Lung Association — yet, many people are not fully aware of its dangers.
Radon causes an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
“The only way to know if its in your home, is to test for it,” says Dr. Brooke Cunningham, Minnesota Department of Health commissioner.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend testing your home if it’s never been tested or if radon levels are unknown. You should also test if you are buying or selling a home, before and after any renovations
or if you spend more time in the basement, according to the agency.
Radon levels are usually higher in homes during the winter months, when temperatures freeze the ground, trapping the gas in the soil.
At-home tests cost $10 to $12 and can be purchased at a hardware store.
The EPA also recommends contacting your state radon program if you need help finding a qualified professional to test for radon or fix your home.
Bonnie Mueller, a nonsmoker and mother of three, wishes she knew about radon testing sooner. She was shocked to learn she had stage 4 lung cancer.
“I was told I had lung cancer in my left lung. It had metastasized to my liver and my lymph nodes and my pancreas and I had a lump in my breast. It was everywhere,” she told CBS News. “They asked if I had ever been exposed to radon — and 10 years ago, I didn’t even know what that was. It wasn’t even on my radar for something.”
Mueller is from Minnesota, which has a cold climate. Radon levels there are three times higher than the national average.
“The radon at our cabin was off the charts. It was so high,” Mueller said. “If there’s any way to prevent (the devastating effects of cancer) by doing a simple test, do it.”
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.