Don’t just assume the air inside your home is safe. Be sure that it is. There are some simple tests you can do to ensure that the air you breathe inside your home is clean and problem free.

Radon
You can't see radon and you can't smell it or taste it, but it may be a problem in your home. That's because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. 

Radon is an odorless, tasteless, and invisible gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water. Radon is a form of ionizing radiation and a proven carcinogen. Lung cancer is the only known effect on human health from exposure to radon in the air. 

 The EPA recommends that homes be fixed if the radon level is 4 pCi/L (pico Curies per Liter) or more. Because there is no known safe level of exposure to radon, the EPA also recommends that Americans consider fixing their home for radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L. The average radon concentration in the indoor air of America’s homes is about 1.3 pCi/L. The average concentration of radon in outdoor air is .4 pCi/L or 1/10th of EPA’s 4 pCi/L action level.

It's never too late to reduce your risk of lung cancer. Don't wait to test and fix a radon problem. TEST YOUR HOME! The EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon. Testing is easy and inexpensive. Tests are available at many hardware stores.

Carbon Monoxide
At the onset of cold weather, we begin operating appliances and equipment that can generate carbon monoxide gas. This includes ALL fuel-burning equipment and appliances — especially if they malfunction or are improperly ventilated. Every year, this results in hundreds of deaths and thousands of illnesses.

Among the numerous potential sources of carbon monoxide are furnaces, water heaters, stoves, ovens, kerosene space heaters, wood and gas fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, portable generators, and automobile engines.

Carbon monoxide gas is deadly, even though it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Carbon monoxide has no specific warning signs and it may kill quickly or slowly. Even when it is not fatal, carbon monoxide can cause permanent damage to the brain and other parts of the nervous system. It affects people of all ages, but infants and children are more susceptible than adults.

Take simple steps to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Have your furnace inspected and adjusted before every heating season.
• Have your chimney, fireplace, wood stoves, and flues inspected before every heating season.
• Have chimneys and flues repaired as needed.
• Ventilate the room every time you use a kerosene space heater.
• Do not use charcoal grills indoors for cooking or heating.
• Do not use your oven for heating your home.
• Do not leave your car’s engine running in an enclosed or attached garage.

Take a simple step to detect carbon monoxide: install a carbon monoxide alarm outside of every sleeping area in your home. Should the alarm sound, open the windows, be sure that everyone leaves the area, and call the appropriate number in your area to determine the cause. Be sure that you determine and eliminate the cause.

Lead
Lead is a highly toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. Exposure to lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities to seizures and death. Children younger than age six are most at risk because their bodies grow so quickly.
Research suggests that the primary sources of lead exposure for most children are:

• Deteriorating lead-based paint
• Lead-contaminated dust
• Lead-contaminated residential soil

Talk to your state or local health department about testing the paint and dust from your home for lead. The Allegheny County Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program performs blood screenings for lead.

Pregnant women and children should not be in housing that was built before 1978 and is undergoing renovation.