Winter is the time of year when most houses are closed up to keep the cold out, making it the best time to have your home tested for radon. Radon gas is a radioactive carcinogen that is odorless and colorless and is a result of the breakdown of uranium in the soil.

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It can enter any home through cracks and holes in the foundation, walls and water pipes. The EPA states that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, second only to smoking. In Nebraska, especially in the eastern portions, there are dangerously high levels of radon. Approximately, one out of every two homes have reported levels well above the safe zone.

Take Action

The free Radon Test kits for the 2012-2013 season are no longer available. Please check with your local hardware store for purchase availability. If you have completed a radon test kit and your results exceed the 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) standard recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency, please review the EPA’s booklet “EPA Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction” for information on how to fix your home:

http://www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/consguid.pdf

Contact Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department for more information: (402) 529-2233 or 1-877-379-4400.