The Environmental Health Division of Richland Public Health wants county residents to take advantage of “National Radon Action Month” and test their homes for the presence of radon gas. The Health Department has vouchers available for Richland County residents to mail in for free radon test kits.
Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the soil. It is odorless, colorless and chemically inactive, a natural product of the disintegration of uranium. Radon usually does not present a health risk outdoors because it is diluted in the open air. Radon can, however, build up to dangerous levels inside a house. One out of every 15 homes is estimated to have high radon levels. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking) in the United States, causing more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths annually.
Matt Work, Director of Environmental Health at the Health Department, says the home testing kits are the best way for a home owner to find out if he/she has a problem and take steps to control exposure at home if necessary.
Vouchers for Radon test kits (one per home), as well as informative flyers about Radon and Indoor Air Quality, are available through the Environmental Health Division at Richland Public Health, 555 Lexington Avenue in Mansfield.
“If a reading of 4.0 picocuries of radon per liter of air or higher (the EPA suggested action level) is indicated by the initial short term test, we recommend a second, longer term test to properly evaluate the extent of the problem.” Work said. “In most cases the control measures are reasonably inexpensive such as improving air circulation, sealing of cracks in basement floors or walls, and venting of sumps.”
The initial screening test takes three to seven days to run and results are reported within five to seven days of sample submission. Work notes that the Health Department can provide consultative assistance with interpretation of the results and a follow up plan if needed.
Additional information on radon is available through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website at www.epa.gov/radon/index.html or by following the links at the Health Department website at www.richlandhealth.org.
