January is National Radon Action Month

Testing your home for radon gas is inexpensive and easy. January is National Radon Action Month, and the Marathon County Health Department is encouraging Marathon County residents to test their homes for radon gas.

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in the United States among nonsmokers. You can’t see, smell, or taste radon, but it may be a problem in your home. The EPA estimates radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer greatly increases.

Radon can be found all over the U.S. Radon comes from the natural radioactive breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the air you breathe. It can get into any type of building- homes, offices, and schoolsand build up to high levels. You and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home since that’s where you spend most of your time. You should test for radon. Ensure that you are safer at home. Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all basements for radon. In Marathon County, two out of every three homes test above the EPA recommended action level for radon. Testing is inexpensive and easy. Radon test kits can be ordered from the safety of your home through the Marathon County Health Department website link provided below.

You can fix the problem. There are simple ways to fix a radon problem that are not expensive. Even very high levels of radon can be reduced to acceptable levels. More than 100 radon mitigation contractors in Wisconsin are nationally certified to install radon mitigation systems if elevated radon levels are found. Thousands of systems are installed in existing homes in Wisconsin each year. Newly constructed homes should include features recommended by the National Association of Home Builders to reduce radon entry.

For more information on radon, visit Wisconsin Radon Information website, https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/radon/ index.htm. Radon test kits are available for purchase at the Marathon County Health Department Radon website, https://www.marathoncounty.gov/ services/public-health-human-services/ environmental-health/human-healthhazards/.