Sometimes the place that makes us feel the safest hides a horrible truth.

Berni Collins and her family learned that three years ago when she was diagnosed with lung cancer.

"It's really been hard to accept because I've never smoked," said Collins.

A quick test of her home revealed she had been living the past 34 years in a home with dangerous levels of radon.

"I got the results back and found out we had a 7.8 level," Colins said.

"Testing our home is one of the best things we've ever done."

"We wanted to make sure no one else would ever go through this living in this house if that was the cause of it," Collins said.

What is Radon and Where Does Radon Come From?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released in rock, soil, and water from the natural decay of uranium. While levels in outdoor air pose a relatively low threat to human health, radon can accumulate to dangerous levels inside buildings.

You can’t see, smell, or taste it, but an elevated radon level in your home may be affecting the health of your family.

Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the number one cause among non-smokers. Because it is odorless and invisible and that lung cancer usually shows up over a long period of exposure, the danger of radon is often underestimated or blamed entirely upon smoking.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon causes more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the country each year. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your home has radon, your risk of lung cancer can be higher.

How Does it Enter Your House?

Almost half of the homes in the Western New York area that have been tested have elevated results to some degree. Radon has been found in elevated levels in homes in every state.

The EPA estimates that 1 in 15 homes in the U.S. have elevated radon levels. Indeed, two homes right next to each other can have vastly different radon levels.

Just because your neighbor’s house does not have an elevated level of radon does not mean that your house will have a low radon level. The only way to know if your home is under the EPA action level is to test.

High levels of radon in homes usually come from the surrounding soil. Radon gas enters through cracks and openings—such as sump pump lids and plumbing features—on the lower levels of your home.

Hot spots include basements, first-floor rooms, and garages, but radon can be found anywhere in your house.

You should test for radon. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon. Testing your house for radon is easy to do.

Radon Testing cost can exceed $300.00, depending on location and number of Continuous Radon Monitors (CRMs) required to test the home according to Guidelines.

Central Real Estate Inspections uses the Radalink TeleMonitor, a sophisticated, electronic instrument that collects data hourly and is equipped with tamper detectors.

When the test is finished, the data is electronically transmitted to Radalink for analysis by their specialists. A complete report is emailed to you within the hour.

With the results of your Radon test you will know how much of a danger your home is to you and your family. If your house has a radon problem, you can take steps to fix it to protect yourself and your family.

Most homes, after radon gas mitigation, have levels that are well under dangerous limits. It’s never too late to reduce your risk of lung cancer; don’t wait to test and fix a radon problem.

Testing is the only way to know if your home has high levels of radon gas.