Last Week's Smoke Cleared. This Risk Never Does.

Last week, many of you probably noticed something unusual: smoky, hazy skies drifting over our part of the U.P. Air Quality Alerts were in effect across Michigan as wildfire smoke from Canada rolled in, and for a few days, you could actually see and smell what was in the air we breathe.

As a home and commercial inspector, that stretch of smoky skies got me thinking about something I deal with year-round: the air quality risks we can't see or smell at all.

Wildfire smoke is temporary. It came in with the wind, and it cleared out with the wind. But there's another air quality concern that doesn't behave that way — one that doesn't show up in a weather alert, doesn't clear on its own, and doesn't announce itself with a haze in the sky. I'm talking about radon.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that seeps up from the ground through cracks and gaps in a building's foundation. You can't see it, smell it, or taste it — which is exactly what makes it dangerous. Unlike smoke, it doesn't pass with a change in the weather. It just accumulates, quietly, in basements and lower levels, day after day, until someone tests for it.

Here's what makes radon worth taking seriously: according to the EPA, long-term exposure to radon at levels above the recommended action threshold carries a lung cancer risk comparable to smoking around half a pack of cigarettes a day — every single day, for as long as the exposure continues. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States overall, and it's the leading cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked a day in their lives.

That last part is worth sitting with. You don't have to be a smoker, or live with a smoker, or work around smoke for radon to put you at risk. All it takes is time spent in a building where radon levels are high — your home, your workplace, your kids' daycare.

The good news is that this is one of the easiest health risks to rule out. Radon testing is quick and affordable, and if a test does come back elevated, mitigation systems are highly effective at bringing radon levels back down to safe ranges.

If you're a homeowner, this is a great time to ask yourself: has this house ever been tested for radon? If you own or manage a commercial property, the same question applies — you're responsible for the air your employees and customers are breathing every day they're on your property.

Last week's smoky skies gave us all a rare, visible reminder that air quality matters. Let it be the nudge you needed to check on the risk you can't see. If you haven't tested your home or building for radon, now's the time. Call me at 906.448.2549 or email ben@upinspect.com.