Public Service Announcement
Date 01.16.2024 Contact: Arissa Hunt
January is National Radon Action Month
You can’t see, smell, or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America and claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year. In fact, the EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools and other buildings for radon.
Radon is a radioactive gas that forms naturally when uranium, thorium, or radium, which are radioactive metals, break down in rocks, soil and groundwater. People can be exposed to radon primarily from breathing radon in air that comes through cracks and gaps in buildings and homes. Because radon comes naturally from the earth, people are always exposed to it.
Based on a national residential radon survey completed in 1991, the average indoor radon level is about 1.3 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) in air in the United States. The average outdoor level is about 0.4 pCi/L. Since 2003, thousands of indoor radon measurements have been performed in Kendall County by licensed radon measurement professionals. Approximately 47% of results generated by those tests were found to exceed the USEPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L.
Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk and testing radon levels in your home can help prevent unnecessary exposure. Testing is easy and affordable. You can pick up a radon testing kit at a local hardware store or at the Kendall County Health Department. You can also order test kits online from the Kendall County Health Department by visiting www.kendallhealth.org or by scanning the QR code below. You can even hire a professional radon testing specialist. If a high radon level is detected in your home, you can take steps to fix the problem to protect yourself and your family.
Three Things You Can Do During National Radon Action Month
Test your home - EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon every 3 years. Testing is easy and inexpensive. Learn more about testing your home, including how to obtain an easy-to-use test kit. Test kits are available at the Kendall County Health Department, some local home improvement stores, online, etc.
- Spread the word - Spend time during National Radon Action Month encouraging others to learn about radon and test their homes.
- Tell your family and friends about the health risk of radon. Encourage them to test their homes.
- Plan an activity in your community to help raise awareness.
- View EPA's free radon publications.
- Buy a radon-resistant home – New construction homes can be built radon-resistant. Read more about radon-resistant new construction, "Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide to Build Radon-Resistant Homes".
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