With the winter cold forcing many of us to spend extra time indoors, it’s good to be thinking about things in our homes that could help or hurt our health. Radon is one of those risks that you should consider.
Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that forms naturally within the earth. Iowa is one of the states with the highest levels of radon because of how glaciers formed here long ago.
Radon is also the second-leading cause of lung cancer, right after smoking tobacco. People who both smoke and are exposed to radon have an even greater risk of developing lung cancer.
Radon levels tend to be highest underground and in basement levels of homes. However, the gas can move up and into buildings through openings or cracks in floors or walls. That’s why it’s important to test your home for radon.
The Dallas County Public Health Department has radon test kits available for pick up at our office at 25747 N Ave. in Adel. Currently the cost is $12. Please call us at 515-993-3750 if you have any questions.
You can also order test kits from the American Lung Association website.
Follow the test kit directions in order to properly test your home. Don’t forget to write in your information on the back and mail the kit to a lab as described in the directions in order to receive your results.
If the test results show high radon levels of 4 pCi/L or higher, visit the Iowa HHS website in order to find a credentialed radon mitigation specialist near you.
Natalie Peters is the community health educator in the Dallas County Public Health Department.
