Read the original story in The Oregonian here. New estimates of
radon risks across Oregon underscore the need for homeowners to
test for the presence of the odorless, invisible radioactive
gas, researchers say. The update, released this week, suggests
that one in every four houses in the Portland area accumulates
radon above the level the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
says should prompt fixes to keep the gas outdoors. That's double
the national average, said Scott Burns, a Portland State
University geology professor who worked with five students to
compile radon tests from homes and businesses statewide. Radon
is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States
after smoking, EPA estimates, and the leading cause among non-
smokers. It seeps from the ground through construction joints
and cracks and gaps in foundations, accumulating in buildings.
Risk in the Portland area is higher because granite-infused
sediment, relatively high in uranium, washed into the region
from the torrential Missoul