The Saginaw County Health Department (SCHD) is distributing free radon test kits through October 31 and encouraging area residents to test their homes before the upcoming heating season.
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. It is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. The only way to know if your home has an elevated radon level is to test it.
“Taking action to reduce your exposure to this tasteless, odorless, colorless, radioactive gas is important,” says Chris Klawuhn, RS, MSA, director of Environmental Health Services at SCHD. “Get a kit and, if elevated radon levels are detected, confirm measurements with additional testing and then take action to reduce the levels in your home.”
Testing is easy and inexpensive, Klawuhn says. The DIY test kits distributed by the health department are normally available for $10, including postage back to an out-of-state lab, as well as fees for analysis and reporting back to homeowners. Free kits are available through this month in Room 101 at SCHD, 1600 N. Michigan Avenue in Saginaw. They are also available at the Rehmann Health Center in Chesaning by calling (989) 845-3911.
Radon occurs naturally in soil and rock, but being a gas, it can move upward through the soil and enter buildings through cracks and openings in the foundation floor or walls. Typical entry points include floor/wall joints, sump openings, crawlspaces, cracks in the floor, and other penetrations caused by plumbing, wiring, or ductwork. Outdoors, it is diluted by the atmosphere. But indoors, it tends to be more concentrated and can accumulate to unhealthy levels.
“Because radon is invisible and can’t be smelled, it’s easy to ignore. It doesn’t cause headaches, nausea, fatigue, skin rashes, or other warning symptoms, yet extended exposure to elevated levels may increase your risk of lung cancer, a generally fatal disease,” Klawuhn explains.
