Protect Your Home from Radon During National Safety Month in Henry and Stark Counties

June is National Safety Month, and the Henry and Stark County Health Departments are urging residents to check their homes for radon. Radon is an odorless, colorless radioactive gas that can build up indoors and is the second-leading cause of lung cancer overall — and the leading cause among non-smokers.

Health officials say radon has been found in 65% of homes in Henry County and 82% in Stark County. Radon home testing kits are available for $15. For details, call the location nearest you: Kewanee at 309-852-0197, Colona at 309-792-4011, or Toulon at 309-852-3115. Updates are also available on the department’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

Health officials are reminding residents that testing is the only way to know whether a home has elevated radon levels. Radon readings above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s action level of 4 picocuries per liter of air can pose a health concern, and mitigation information is available through the Health Department’s Environmental Health Division or online at henrystarkhealth.com.

The Health Department staff notes, “Many people don’t even know that radon gas is such a health threat. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas present in the soil and water that can build up to dangerous levels in the home. Radon gas is odorless, colorless, tasteless, and invisible and the only way to know if a home has a radon problem is to test for it. Breathing radon can increase one’s risk of lung cancer. If you are a smoker, your risk is even more heightened.”

They add, “Radon gas found in 65% of homes in Henry County and 82% of homes in Stark County. Radon is a Class A human carcinogen, meaning there is actual evidence that exposure to radon causes lung cancer. It is the cause of 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States annually.”