January is Radon Action Month- Now is the time to test your home
January is National Radon Action Month and The Langlade County Health Department is offering community members a $2 off coupon on a short-term radon test kit. Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that you cannot see, smell, or taste. Over half of the homes tested in Langlade County during 2022 had elevated levels of radon. The best time to test is during the winter months when windows and doors are closed.
“Radon is the number one environmental cause of cancer deaths and the number two cause of lung cancer deaths every year in the Unites States, right behind smoking,” said Karen Marten, Public Health Nurse, Langlade County Health Department. Radon can be a health risk when you or your family are exposed to high levels of radon over long periods of time. The only way to know if your home has high levels of radon is to test.
In the United States, radon exposure is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths/year. Radon kills more people than drunk driving, fires and drowning combined. By testing your home and implementing the proper solution to decrease the radon levels in your home you can be saving not only your life, but your family’s lives as well. Even extremely high levels of radon can be reduced by installation of mitigation systems.
Testing for radon is relatively easy. You just place the test in the lowest living area of your home, at least 2 feet above the floor and at least 3 feet from an outside wall. Short-term test kits should be in place for 48 – 96 hours and then you simply mail the test to the lab.
If you would like more information or have questions about radon, please stop in the Langlade County Health Department at 1225 Langlade Road Antigo, WI 54409, Monday- Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm to pick up your home test kit.
