Survivors warn of dangers around Radon exposure

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - This week marks Lung Cancer Action Week and survivors are warning of the dangers of Radon exposure.

The invisible gas is a leading cause of lung cancer, only second to smoking.

An estimated 20 percent of the lung cancer cases in the commonwealth are caused by Radon exposure and the only way to know for sure, is to test indoor air.

Lindi Campbell is a mom from Lexington, a lung cancer survivor and patient advocate after learning that her childhood exposure led to her diagnosis years later.

“Radon is this toxic gas that can be so dangerous to our bodies and we’re not paying attention to it,” she said. “You can’t see, smell or taste it, but there’s a lot of things we can’t see. COVID we couldn’t see but we feared what we knew, so why do we not fear the science and the statistics that are out there to back this up?”

According to the EPA, 21,000 people die in the U.S. each year from cancer-causing Radon gas. That’s two lives lost, every hour.

“Radon does have a large impact on lung cancer in our state,” said Kyle Hoylman, Protect Environmental CEO. “In fact, radon has been identified in elevated levels in all 120 of our counties. Radon is responsible for more than 1000 deaths each year in our state, and that carries a pretty big price tag with it. It’s estimated to be well over $400 million in direct and indirect medical cost.”

To empower people to be proactive and take action to reduce the risk of radon-induced lung cancer, Protect Environmental is providing no-cost professional radon testing to homeowners in Lexington.

A Breath of Hope White Ribbon walk and 5K is planned for October in Lexington.

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