Habitat for Humanity of Utah County is working with the Utah Cancer Action Network, Utah County Health Department, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality to encourage community members to test their homes for radon during January's National Radon Action Month.
Habitat is providing information about radon and offering radon test kits for $6.00 at the ReStore at 340 South Orem Blvd. or click the link below to purchase on-line through ProPay's secure service.
"Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, causing an estimated 22,000 deaths a year," said Christine Keyser, radon program coordinator of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Radiation Control. "The best time to test for radon is during the winter months when your home is closed and radon levels are likely to build to their highest concentrations.”
High levels of indoor radon have been found in many areas of Utah. Because radon is a colorless, odorless gas that occurs naturally in soil and rocks through the breakdown of uranium, testing is the only way to know the radon level in a home. If test results are 4.0 pico liters or above, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that the homeowners install a radon mitigation system. A list of certified mitigators is available at the Utah County Health Department in Provo.
For questions regarding radon, contact Andrea Jensen at 801-851-7509 or at Andreaj.uchlth@state.ut.us. You can also visit the Utah DEQ website.