NORWICH — You can’t see, smell, or taste it, but your home may be harboring a deadly gas that is estimated to claim up to 21,000 Americans each year.

January has been declared “National Radon Month” by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency tasked with monitoring and recoding the effects of the silent killer.

“Radon is a gas that can be found all over the U.S. and can find its way into any type of building — homes, offices, and schools — which results in high indoor radon levels,” said Chenango County Director of Environmental Health Isaiah Sutton. “But you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time,” he said.

According to the EPA, Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe.

The continental US is segmented into three regions of radon concentration: levels 1 (greatest), 2 and 3. Chenango County and much of New York state is situated in Region 1.

“We live in the hot zone for radon exposure and overall increased naturally occurring levels of radon ” said Sutton. “Although we don't often hear about it, Radon testing and mitigation is something that Chenango home owners are dealing with every day.”