January is National Radon Action Month – an opportune time for Livingston County residents to test for radon in their homes to determine if they need Radon Gas Remediation services.
Because families are spending more time indoors during the winter months, January is a good time to test for this radioactive, invisible, odorless gas. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. The EPA estimates that approximately 21,100 lung cancer deaths each year are radon-related. Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon enters buildings through openings in the foundation floor or walls (sump openings, crawlspaces, floor/wall joints, cracks, etc.). Radon can become trapped in buildings and lead to elevated and harmful radon levels, this is why it is important to constantly get inspections in order to determine if there is a need for radon mitigation services.
One in eight Michigan homes is likely to have an elevated radon level. According to a study conducted by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) radon is present in elevated levels in about 40 percent of Livingston County homes. Radon is tasteless, odorless, and colorless, and it has no warning symptoms (it does not cause headaches, nausea, fatigue, etc.). Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk for health issues caused by radon.
The Livingston County Health Department (LCHD) is offering free short-term radon test kits Jan. 2-31. Test kits are available at the Environmental Health Division office, located at 2300 E. Grand River Ave., Suite 102, Howell, MI and limited quantities at all city, village, and township offices.
Radon test kits are also available for purchase at local hardware stores, home improvement centers, some supermarkets, or directly from a laboratory. The EPA recommends that houses with radon levels of 4 picocuries per liter or more of radon should be fixed to prevent accumulation of the gas indoors. Radon problems can be fixed by qualified contractors for a cost similar to that of many common home repairs, such as painting or having a new water heater installed (anywhere from $500 to about $2,500).
For more radon information, contact LCHD at (517) 546-9858 or the State of Michigan Radon Program at 1-800-RADON-GAS. Radon information can also be accessed via the web at https://www.livgov.com/health/eh/Pages/radon.aspx or www.michigan.gov/radon.
