Health District Makes It Free,

Easy To Test Your Home For Radon

By John Voket

The month of January has been designated as Radon Action Month in Connecticut. The Newtown Health District joins the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the American Lung Association of Connecticut, and US Environmental Protection Agency urging residents to test their homes for radon, and, if necessary, mitigate high levels when found.

According to Newtown Health District’s Lead Sanitarian Ed Knapik, radon is a naturally occurring colorless and odorless radioactive gas, which typically enters the home through small cracks and holes in the basement. Soils contain various levels of uranium, which when broken down forms radon.

When this radioactive gas gets trapped in a home or building, it can reach harmful levels.

“Radon is present at elevated levels in about one out of every five homes in Connecticut,” said state Department of Public Health Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, MD, MPH, MBA. “However, because you can’t see or smell radon, people often are unaware that there might be a silent killer in their homes.”

At levels above four picoCuries per liter it can increase one’s risk of getting lung cancer.

Public health officials have found that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US, behind cigarette smoking, and the leading cause among nonsmokers. For those who smoke cigarettes and have radon in their homes, the risk of getting lung cancer is even greater.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate 15,000–30,000 citizens die from radon-induced lung cancer each year.

“We live in an area of the country where elevated radon levels in homes are quite common,” said Donna Culbert, Newtown’s director of health. “Most of Connecticut is located in a zone where there is a high to moderate potential for having a radon issue in the air or water in one’s home. Yet, very few people are testing for radon. Now is a good time of year to test.”

The only way to find out if a home has radon is to test for it. The heating season is the best time to test for radon because homes are closed up, and radon levels tend to build up indoors.

If you are interested in testing your home for radon, The Newtown Health District has a limited number of free radon test kits for residents of Newtown, Bridgewater, and Roxbury. Pick one up while supplies last at the Health District office, 31 Peck’s Lane, during regular business hours from 7 am to 4:30 pm.

Radon test kits can also be purchased from the American Lung Association of Connecticut for $12, by calling 800- LUNG-USA.

If you have high radon levels in your home, don’t panic. Radon problems can be fixed by qualified contractors for a cost similar to that of many common home repairs, such as painting or having a new water heater installed (anywhere from $800 to about $2,500).

For additional information on radon, radon testing, and mitigation, call the Newtown Health District at 270-4291 or visit its website at www.newtown-ct.gov. Then click on Town Departments, click on the Health Department, and then click on Radon; or visit the EPA’s website at www.epa.gov/radon.