KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department is reminding residents of the cancer risk from radon during National Radon Awareness Month.
Officials say radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, causing more than 20,000 deaths annually in the United States. Radon is 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.
“Kalamazoo County is considered a Zone 1 County, which means that average radon levels are expected to be above the EPA’s recommended action level of 4.0 pCi/L.”” Kalamazoo County Environmental Health Supervisor Lucas Pols said in a statement.
There are no warnings signs or symptoms from exposure; therefore, testing your home is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon.
Short term radon testing kits are available for purchase year-round at the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department (located at 311 E. Alcott St, Kalamazoo, MI) for $10.00.
There are also long-term test kits that test the air for at least three months and up to one year.
The long-term kits provide you with an average radon level that you are exposed to in your home. These are available online from the State of Michigan Indoor Radon Program at www.mi.radon.com.
To learn more about radon, contact the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department’s Environmental Health Division at 269-373-5210 or visit www.kalcounty.com/eh.
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