Lake Oswego, Ore. - The basement of her Lake Oswego home is where Marlene Ellis says radon killed her husband.

"It was the radon in this home and the exposure to the radon," she told KATU News.

Her husband, Bob, died three months ago from lung cancer, even though he did not smoke and was in perfect health at age 48.

To find out what caused the cancer, Ellis hired Ecotech Environmental Services to test for radon, a colorless, odorless gas.

The tests the company took showed levels of radon more than ten times above what is considered safe.

"I was shocked," said Don Francis with Ecotech. "It didn't seem like in this part of Portland we would see concentrations like this."

Bob's basement office in Lake Oswego is not considered a hot area for radon.

Northeast Portland and all of Clark and Skamania counties are some of the hottest radon areas in the country, but Clark County is the only one in Washington that does not require buildings to be built radon-proof.

"The people in the city (in Portland) told us we don't have a radon problem here. We don't have any special permits required for installation of mitigation systems," said Francis.

Ellis says that is why she believes all homes need to be tested for radon, which can naturally seep into one home and perhaps not at all into a house right next door.

If high levels are found, the radon can be pumped from beneath a home and sent safely outside.

Now is the best time to test for radon because winter is when most homes are sealed up tight.

Radon kits can be purchased at stores like Home Depot for under $30.

Related links:

Radon risk by zip code (Portland)
Radon hazard information