Local News in Brief : Volunteers Sought for Radon Study
Northwestern Los Angeles County and southeastern Ventura County residents are being asked to participate in a detailed study of radon gas levels in their homes, state Health Services Director Kenneth W. Kizer said Friday.
Radon is a natural radioactive gas that seeps up from the soil and is thought to be a cause of lung cancer. A survey by The Times last fall indicated that radon is apt to exceed recommended limits in 50,000 Southern California residences.
That finding prompted Kizer in October to order a study of homes in such communities as Moorpark, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley as well as adjacent portions of Los Angeles County.
Kizer said Friday that letters were now being sent to residents asking them to volunteer for the study. He said the measurements in both county areas “will enable us to determine if there is a high risk in a particular area, the extent of the risk and the geographical boundaries of the high risk area.”
Overall, Kizer said, “radon contamination of homes is not much of a problem in California.”
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