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So you've glanced over your home and addressed all the safety risks such as lead paint and asbestos, but what about the dangers you can't see.

Here we have a typical Sioux Empire basement...but something is lurking in the air you can't see or smell...and what makes this scene so scary is the fact that most people don't even know they have it...a radioactive gas called radon.

"Actually South Dakota know much this it's an up and coming thing that people are just now becoming aware of,"said Co-President of Radon Mitigation Systems, Mike Hartman.

So what is radon? Well, it's a by product of uranium decomposing in the soil . It's a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas, but the most important thing you need to know...According to the EPA Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.

If a house touches the ground, it's susceptible, inspector says

FRIDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Brandon Smith started a radon inspection company of his own when the company for which he made heat-resistant wire closed down after 100 years in business.

Smith and his wife, who live in Battle Creek, Mich., opened their mom-and-pop business, Michigan Radon Agency, in 2005 and now test about 15 houses a week for radon.

"It's not an easy business to get into," Smith said. "You have to get trained, certified and licensed, and have all your business connections in place." And that includes real estate agents. "They're the ones recommending you, so you've got to know a lot of them," he said.

For his testing, which Smith said ranges from $75 to $150, electronic monitors are placed around a house and left for two weeks. He also takes an instant hour-by-hour readout for the homeowners. "It's always done in the basement, if it's livable," he said.

Some areas have higher concentration potential than others, but homes with elevated radon concentrations have been found in every county in Nevada.

Any building with contact to the soil can have a radon problem because radon comes from the decay of uranium, which can be found in rock and soil underneath our homes, offices and schools.

The good news is that radon levels are easy to test for and high levels can be lowered by a certified mitigator.

Results collected since 1989 show that about one in four Nevada homes have elevated radon levels, yet many homeowners have not tested for radon. This might be because radon is an odorless, colorless, invisible gas and there are no immediate adverse, visible effects.

Radon gas quietly enters homes through cracks in the floor, construction joints and gaps around service pipes.

The air is now clear at two East Boulevard condo buildings after a more than $1 million fix to deal with high levels of radon.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Residents of the Condominiums at Latta Pavilion, 1320 Fillmore Ave. in Charlotte, have solved a challenging radon problem with the help of national experts and a $700,000 investment in a new ventilation system.

Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that is found throughout the world. In many homes radon levels become elevated. Radon can be as carcinogenic as second-hand smoke if it is concentrated. The EPA recommends everyone test the radon levels in their home.

To meet an increasing need for radon mitigation of homes in Northeast Colorado, Colorado State University Extension has two scholarships available to become a certified radon mitigator.

Each scholarship covers the $595 cost of the mitigation course through the Center for Environmental Research and Technology Institute.

When course work and the certification test are completed, membership to the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists will be paid for the first year as part of the scholarship.

Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas which is considered the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

During the past three years, CSU Extension has provided educational programs which include radon screening tests.

BREAD SPRINGS, NM — What you don’t see CAN hurt you. Like radon — a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that can lead to lung cancer as a result of long-term exposure.

Last week, 25 trainees from Head Start, Indian Health Service, Navajo Nation Facility Maintenance and Employee Housing received radon mitigation training at Bread Springs Head Start, or Baa Haa Li Olta Yazhi, for the pilot project.