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Every year, approximately 21,000 Americans die from exposure to an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas in their homes. Most victims don鈥檛 even know they鈥檙e breathing it.

Radon can be present in virtually every building that touches the ground. Exposure over the course of a lifetime can increase a person鈥檚 cancer risk by 50 percent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

鈥淭hat is similar to the increased risk of a half-a-pack-a-day smoker,鈥� said Joel Migliaccio, owner and project manager of Environmental Works, an environmental consulting and construction company in Portland.

Migliaccio鈥檚 firm provides radon testing and mitigation services. He said that it鈥檚 the number one cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers, but risk mitigation is relatively simple and inexpensive.

Radon is a radioactive gas produced naturally from decay of uranium in rock, soil and water. As it breaks down, it releases solid particles that can get trapped in lungs. Those particles emit radiation and damage tissue.

The problem is that no reliable ways exist to predict which houses are susceptible. One house may be safe while one next door is not.

But one certainty is that the problem increases during wintertime, when homeowners turn up the heat. Because air moves from cold spaces to warmer ones, houses become vacuums that suck up radon from beneath concrete slabs.

To raise awareness, the EPA has designated January as national Radon Action Month. In Oregon, two new radon-related laws took effect last year. Now, radon testing is required before a home is sold, and radon mitigating construction is required for all new homes. In April, the latter requirement will apply to all new public buildings.

But no requirements exist for testing in existing homes, and Brett Sherry, manager of Oregon Health Authority鈥檚 radon program, said radon often is out of sight and out of mind.

鈥淭he hardest part is just getting folks aware of what the hazards are and getting them to test,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f everyone tested, they鈥檇 know and they could take the steps to fix it 鈥� But it鈥檚 kind of easy to ignore.鈥�

Migliaccio said they shouldn鈥檛.

Radon is measured in picocuries, and any more than 4 is cause for concern. Migliaccio said he has tested homes in Northeast Portland that measured between 40 and 50 picocuries.

The solution typically involves drilling a hole in a basement or foundation and running a perforated pipe underground and to a building鈥檚 exterior to give the gas an escape route. Sometimes fans are required to improve ventilation. Improvements can cost anywhere between $1,300 and $1,500.

Sherry said temporary solutions include sleeping in upper floors (radon levels drop by 30 to 50 percent with each story), and opening windows.

Alex Boetzel, chief innovation officer at Green Hammer, an environmentally focused homebuilder in Portland, said most homeowners either are unaware of the issue or resistant to address it.

鈥淢ost people shy away and say, 鈥楧o I really need that or not?鈥� 鈥� Boetzel said. 鈥淢ost people don鈥檛 think, 鈥楬ey, thanks for making me aware of this risk.鈥� It鈥檚 more the opposite: 鈥極h wow. That鈥檚 expensive. Do I have to do it?鈥�

Do-it-yourself testing kits run between $14 and $25, but results must be mailed to a lab. Professional tests cost approximately $150 and require just two days.

鈥淧eople with new families (and) even people with pets are going, 鈥榃ow, my dog died from lung cancer and we don鈥檛 know why,鈥� 鈥� Migliaccio said. 鈥淭hen they get radon tested and it鈥檚 like, 鈥極h by the way, there were 10 picocuries that you have all been breathing.鈥� 鈥�

The bottom line, Migliaccio said, is that home testing is critical.

鈥淣o matter how you do it,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust do it.鈥�