SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Emergency Management Agency will be using a $38,000 grant to pay for radon screenings at 50 school districts across the state. Radon, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., is odorless, colorless and tasteless.
The testing was announced as part of Radon Action Month. Thousands of homes in Illinois have been tested for radon, while very few schools have been tested the Chicago Tribune reports.
Experts estimate that 1,200 radon-related lung cancer deaths occur in Illinois each year.