DEP calling attention to radon in winter months

(Harrisburg) — State environmental regulators are calling attention to the increased danger of illness caused by radon during the winter months.

The Department of Environmental Protection says cold weather can cause levels of the colorless, odorless, cancer-causing gas to build to dangerous levels inside some homes.

Matt Shields is a DEP Radiation Health Physicist.

He says a simple pipe and fan system is often all that’s needed to remove radon from an enclosed space.

“Radon systems help reduce moisture in homes, also. It’s a great side benefit of having these systems,” Shields explains. “We did the scientific study here in the Harrisburg area and we saw this moisture reduction was actually significant in nature.”

Shields says about 40 percent of homes in Pennsylvania have radon levels above the EPA safety levels.