Radon gas takes the lives of an estimated 21,000 nonsmokers yearly in the form of terminal lung cancer.  In terms of statistics, it ranks number two between deaths from smoking and second hand smoke, according to the Surgeon General.

Radon is a natural, orderless - radioactive gas resulting fro

m the decay of uranium, and seeps to the surface of the ground.  It can come into a home through cracks in a basement and distributed throughout the home in the air ducts of a basement furnace. 

There are a number of Radon Test kits available on the market for home owners.  An excellent one is the long-term test kit.  An alpha track detector operates on a very different principle than other, short term or charcoal based kits.  The alpha tracker records the strikes which alpha-particles of the byproduct polonium make on a film, for a 90 day period.  The kit is sent in the prepaid mailer to the laboratory, which counts the alpha tracks on the film, computes the radon concentration, and reports the analysis.

 A radon detection kit is worthy of the small investment when one considers the cost of bad health and medical treatment.