'I'd been so healthy': Radon gas continues to causes illnesses in Utah homes

LEHI — When his wife started repeating her questions — namely 'What day is it?' — Ron Robbins knew something was wrong.

After just having cared for a mother with dementia, Robbins particularly paid attention to what his wife was doing and saying. She did not simply snap out of her questioning. She seemed unaware of what was going on around her. Drinking water did not feel the same to her. That was enough to have him call the ambulance.

Kerri Robbins is thankful that he did. After various medical tests, it was discovered she had Stage 4 lung cancer. After a radon test in the home — suggested by her medical oncologist Dr. Wallace Akerley at the Hunstman Cancer Institute — the Robbinses learned the levels were incredibly high. It was as if she were smoking three cigarette packs a day. It was clear to Akerley that radon was the cause of her cancer.

"They ran tests at the hospital and one showed that I had the possibility of a brain tumor, which I thought they were just insane. I'd been so healthy!" she said. "They find a spot in my lung ... and now I think, 'What if Dr. Akerley didn't ask me that question? Have we tested our home for radon?' I'm someone who is lucky."

Nearly 18,000 deaths in the United States each year are caused by radon gas, according to the Huntsman Cancer Institute and other cancer centers. Since 2005 the Office of the Surgeon General has warned others of the dangers of radon, especially its cancer-causing abilities.

But unlike asbestos, lead paint or tainted water, which also cause a variety of medical issues, radon is a natural gas that is and will continue to be a part of our lives. It forms when radioactive metals crumble in groundwater, rocks and soil. This natural gas is in many more places than people realize, including their homes.

Akerley, who specializes in lung cancer treatment, estimates that close to 50% of his patients have never smoked. He states that we know that smoking will cause lung cancer, but Utah has a very low number of smokers and still people get lung cancer, albeit lower than other states. Hence, we can infer that radon is playing a role.

"So, radon is radiation, right? We all know that if you sit next to a nuclear reactor, you're going to get in trouble," Akerley said. "That would be a high dose of radiation, so you would see the results right away. In your homes, it's a very low dose and it takes years to cause a problem. Our skin is pretty good with radon — the sun is radiation. But our lungs ... that's the place that gets the cancer."

He strongly suggests people get their homes tested for radon due to its odorless, colorless and tasteless nature. Breathing in radon is a reality of life, but Akerley notes there are ways to lower its presence to a very small amount by sealing pipes, closing openings to the ground in your basement and getting a mitigation service available with many companies around the Salt Lake Valley.

Similar to Akerley, the Robbinses spend their time educating people about radon gas and its dangers. Whether it's a Facebook message informing everyone in the neighborhood about the need to check for the gas level in their homes or talking to people in the grocery stores while shopping, they are regularly informing others about radon gas. For the Robbinses and Akerley, educating people about what radon gas is in the first place can go a long way.

UtahRadon.org is a website to learn more about the gas and also how to use mitigation services to lower the level in your home. Kerri Robbins is committed to making change through legislation. Several states — 37 in total — require disclosure of radon levels with any real estate transaction. This action was caused by state legislatures across the country creating and signing bills to make this disclosure a reality. She hopes to see Utah next on that list.

The way the Robbinses each see it, educating residents, including the state legislators, about the dangers of radon gas in the home is essential to looking out for your neighbor. Kerri Robbins is cancer-free today and that has given her more incentive to educate others.

"I felt like I was so blessed that Heavenly Father has given me a mission," she said. "If this could happen to me, it could happen to anybody. And I don't want it to happen to anybody else."

Related topics