KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Health officials in Kalamazoo County are urging citizens to test their homes for radon levels in accordance with National Radon Action Month.
Health officials say that radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, causing more than 21,000 deaths annually in the United States.
Radon is described by officials as a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that is naturally released from rock and soil. Radon gas can enter homes through the foundation resulting in an increased risk of exposure to radon radiation.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that about 1 in 15 homes have an elevated radon level. The EPA considers Kalamazoo County as a Zone 1 County, meaning that average radon levels are expected to be above the EPA’s recommended action level of 4.0 pCi/L (picoCuries per Liter).
“Testing your home is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon since there are no warning signs or symptoms from exposure,” Environmental Health Division Chief for the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department Vern Johnson said in a statement. “This is an important public health issue. We encourage residents to use the months of January and February to learn about radon and take action to know their radon levels in their home.”
In order to help test for radon, citizens in Kalamazoo can purchase a short-term radon detection kit year-round from the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department. The short-term kit costs $10.
More information about radon exposure can be found online at https://www.epa.gov/radon.
