(COLDWATER) - January is Radon Action Month.
The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency wants to remind residents of the tri-county area that free testing kits are available at each of their offices.
Joe Frazier, CHA Director of Environmental Health says testing is easy, and the only way to know if a home has a radon problem. Testing when windows and doors are shut gives the most accurate results. Frazier says radon levels can be different from home to home so the CHA encourages all residents to test.
Testing is recommended every two years because homes settle, new
cracks form in the foundation and radon levels can change.
Follow the instructions provided with your testing kit, but here are some tips for an accurate test result: The kit should be placed in the lowest livable level of your home for 3-7 days. Hang the kit between eye and knee level, in a location where it will not be disturbed and at least 3 feet from windows and doors.
Avoid areas near wood stoves, fireplaces, or heaters, areas with drafts, high moisture, and direct sunlight. Windows should be kept closed in the area of the test kit. Keep doors closed except for entering and exiting the home.
Radon is an odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas that occurs naturally in soil and rock. You cannot see, smell or taste radon, and there are no short-term side effects. However, long-term exposure to radon increases the risk of developing lung cancer.
Radon gas is present outdoors but is not harmful until it becomes trapped in our homes. The concentration of radon gas increases without the ability to escape through open windows and doors.
According to the Surgeon General, it is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and the leading cause among non-smokers.