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EPA Recommends Radon Testing in January

Release Date: 12/30/2010
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543, smith.bonnie@epa.gov

PHILADELPHIA (Dec. 30, 2010) - January is national Radon Action Month and the
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency encourages everyone to test their homes for radon. January is an especially good time to test homes and schools because windows and doors are closed tightly and people spend more time indoors.

Unsafe levels of radon can lead to serious illness. The Surgeon General has warned that
radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. By making simple fixes in a home or building people can lower their health risks from radon.

Radon testing is the only way to know if radon is present, since it is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. Test kits are available in home improvement centers and hardware stores and cost approximately $20. The kits are simple to use and they include instructions for how to mail them to a lab for the results.

For more information about radon and radon testing see: https://www.epa.gov/radon/.