CLICK TO HEAR JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH IAN NELSON, PUBLIC HEALTH
January is National Radon Action Month.
Radon is a tasteless, odorless, and colorless radioactive gas that is created through natural processes in soil and rock. As a gas, it then becomes a part of the atmosphere. The level of radon in the outdoor atmosphere is not harmful to people, but radon can concentrate indoors leading to harmful levels within a home.
There are no short-term health effects associated with radon; however, long-term exposure to elevated radon levels increases a person’s risk of developing lung cancer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
According to the EPA, the average national indoor radon level is 1.3 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) and the recommended action level is 4.0 pCi/L. Results from one hundred and fifty-nine (159) radon tests collected in 2023 from Delta and Menominee Counties resulted in 16% of these samples reporting radon levels at or above 4.0 pCi/L.\
The highest level of radon reported from these tests was 15.3 pCi/L.
Testing for radon is easy, inexpensive and it’s the only way to know what the radon level is in a home. Public Health, Delta & Menominee Counties (PHDM) is providing free radon test kits (normally $10) for residents of Delta and Menominee Counties during the month of January 2025. One test kit per household can be picked up at either our Delta County Office or our Menominee County Office during normal business hours. The household address where the kit will be deployed must be provided when picking up the kit.
Comments