Date Published: 01/02/2020 [Source]
Richland County Health Department is offering home radon test kits for Radon Action Month. The free kits will be available starting Monday, Jan. 6. The only way for residents to know if their home has radon is to test.
Radon is an odorless, colorless and tasteless radioactive gas that occurs naturally. It can enter into your home through cracks or openings in walls or foundations and can become trapped inside.
This gas is a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. and a leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Elevated radon levels have been identified throughout Montana and in every state.
The EPA estimates that almost half of the homes in Montana have an elevated radon level of 4 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L) or more. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend that action be taken to reduce radon levels if the long term average found in your home is 4 pCi\L or higher.
There are several proven methods to reduce radon in your home, but the one primarily used is a vent pipe system and fan, which pulls radon from beneath the house and vents it to the outside.