SALT LAKE CITY — Kerri Robbins first heard about radon two and a half months after being diagnosed with lung cancer. She started coughing up water, which led her to seek treatment and get a diagnosis.
His radon levels were 31.3 pCi/L, or picocuries per liter, which he was told was as harmful as smoking three packs of cigarettes a day. She was working from home and the high levels were affecting her significantly.
The Lehi woman spoke Thursday as part of a media panel revealing local radon data. Since her diagnosis, she has campaigned for radon awareness. She encouraged the use of a radon detector that can stay in a home and give constant readings, so people don’t need to think about doing another test every few years.
“Our homes are our sanctuaries, so we must take care of them and ensure our safety,” she said.
More than 18,000 radon tests conducted in Utah homes over the past year have shown high levels of radon in every region, covering high- and low-income areas, as well as new and older homes.
Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that forms when uranium decomposes and can enter homes through cracks and openings in their foundations. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer.
Prevention
UtahRadon.org’s 2026 State of Utah Radon Report analyzed tests conducted between September 2025 and September 2026 and found that 69.6% of homes contained more than 2.0 pCi/L of radon, the level at which the EPA recommends considering action, and 57.6% were above 2.7 pCi/L, the Organization’s benchmark level world health.
The EPA’s action figure is 4.0 pCi/L, but the report says that figure was set in 1986 and that current research supports that about two-thirds of radon-related deaths occur from exposure in homes with lower levels. According to the report, there is no known safety level for radon.
“Whatever the number, the goal is always to reduce radon to the lowest possible level,” the statement said.
Dr. Clarke Low, an oncologist with Intermountain Health, said that although Utah has one of the lowest numbers of lung cancer diagnoses, it remains the leading cause of cancer death, in part because it is often diagnosed late.
“We want to do everything we can to prevent lung cancer. The best treatment for any type of cancer, especially lung cancer, is prevention,” he said.
Now, he said, some cancers caused by radon can be treated with pills that are remarkably effective and easier to tolerate than chemotherapy, according to Low.
At this point, lung cancer screening is only recommended for people who have used tobacco for a long time. But Low said if people wait for symptoms, they will already be at stage 4 cancer, which is treatable but likely won’t be cured.
He hopes that in the coming years there will be more accessible cancer screening so that screening will also be extended to people exposed to radon.
More homes with dangerous levels
Bill Johnson of Park City was diagnosed with lung cancer while receiving treatment for a back injury he suffered while shoveling snow. He said emergency room exams showed cancer not only in his lungs, but also in his pelvis, spine and brain. At the time, he said he was very active and never smoked.
His family had tested their home for radon when they first moved in, but he encouraged people to think about testing for radon again. The American Lung Association’s recommendation is to get tested at least every two years.
TJ Mellars, general manager of Utah Radon Services, explained that radon is drawn into homes due to pressure differences. If there is a source of radon in the ground, it will be found in any house on the land. He said every house should be tested.
Nationwide, about one in 15 homes has dangerous levels of radon, but in Utah the figure is about one in three, and some cities are even worse. He said there have been cases of homes with a response level more than 100 times higher.
Even if you don’t find radon in a neighboring house, he said you might find it in yours. He said continued monitoring was the best solution.
Radon potential is highest in homes where volcanic and granitic rocks occur, such as in south-central and western Utah and on the Wasatch Front benches near the mountains. Radon is generally lower in valley bottoms, but the report says it is present in “every region of Utah.”
Grantsville, Perry, Smithfield and Providence were the four cities with at least 50 tests analyzed that had the highest number of homes above 2.7 pCi/L – about 80%. Sanpete, Box Elder, Sevier, Wasatch and Cache counties each had levels of 2.7 pCi/L in 70 to 80 percent of homes.
Clinton, Washington, Hurricane and Roy had the lowest percentage of numbers of concern. Washington County had only 20% of homes with 2.7 pCi/L, followed closely by Iron and Kane counties with 25% of homes.
Addressing high radon levels is as simple as installing a pump that takes air from the ground beneath the house and directs it away from the house. Mellars said it costs about $2,000 and takes about three hours to install.
Advocacy against radon
Mellars hopes the data in this report will help people take the problem more seriously. Currently, no Utah law requires radon testing.
“We need to do our best to encourage our state to be aware of it, to raise awareness that this is the biggest environmental risk from lung cancer that we can control to reduce our exposure,” he said.
Some suggestions for laws in other states include requiring a radon test during the home-buying process or making newly constructed homes more radon-resistant.
He noted that receiving a free test kit in the mail doesn’t help unless you take the test, which requires letting it sit for several days and sending it back to the lab.
Radon tests conducted through UtahRadon.org are free, but statewide there has been an average of only 15 tests per 1,000 homes. Radon levels typically increase in the winter when homes are closed up and heated, so testing in winter can better show how high radon levels are reaching a home.
The key takeaways from this article were generated with the help of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article itself is solely written by humans.
Gn Health
