Date Published: 01/06/2020 [Source]
January is National Radon Action Month, and your state and local health departments urge you to learn more about radon—a leading cause of lung cancer—and test for radon in your home. The Norwalk Health Department will distribute free radon testing kits in the Health Department lobby from 11 am - 1 pm on January 7 and 8, while supplies last. The kits were provided as part of the Radon Partnership from the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) Lead, Radon and Healthy Homes Program.
Radon is an invisible, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas released in soil, rock, and water from the breakdown of uranium. It can be drawn into homes and other buildings through cracks and other openings in the foundation. Long-term exposure to high levels of radon gas indoors is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and smokers are at an even higher risk of lung cancer when exposed to radon.
Radon levels vary throughout Connecticut. Levels of radon may vary in each home depending on the structure of the building; your home can have elevated levels of radon while your neighbor's home does not. Because you cannot see, taste, or smell radon, the only way to tell if you have a radon problem in your home is to test for it.