Goochland Residents Urged to Test Homes for Radon

Health and radiological officials are urging residents of Goochland County to test their homes for radon this month as part of national Radon Action Month. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other health organizations highlight radon as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, and officials say the risk comes from long-term exposure to elevated indoor levels.

Matthew Ettinger, director of the office of radiological health, explained the source and pathway of the gas: "It's naturally produced by the decay of uranium," he said. "It's in the soil, and it enters your home through like any other air does. It comes in through cracks in the foundations, windows, etc. It enters from the ground." State officials have identified several Central Virginia counties at elevated risk, with Goochland named among them.

Radon exposure is not an immediate danger the way a carbon monoxide leak can be, but repeated inhalation of high radon levels over years increases lung cancer risk. That risk can differ dramatically across short distances; neighbors on the same street can have very different indoor radon readings because of soil composition, foundation cracks and airflow patterns.

The variability was driven home by a longtime resident who found dangerously high levels in his home more than two decades ago. Former Blackstone Fire Chief Walter Mac Osborne said he installed a mitigation system after his test. "This is oderless, colorless, you can't smell it, you don't know what's there, and you breathe it every day when you're in your home, your work, your business schools, lots of buildings, anywhere that you're exposed to this all day long, is something to be a concern of," said Osborne. "So it's scary, in a way."

If testing shows levels above the EPA's action level, certified radon mitigation companies can install ventilation and sealing systems to reduce indoor concentrations. The Virginia Department of Health is offering a limited supply of radon test kits for $4 to help homeowners and renters identify problems early. Because kits are limited, residents are advised to act promptly, test both basements and lowest occupied levels of their homes, and retest after any mitigation work.

For Goochland families, routine testing during Radon Action Month provides a practical step to reduce a preventable health risk. Detecting and addressing elevated radon now can lower long-term cancer risk for household members and provide peace of mind about indoor air quality.