January is National Radon Action Month, and Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) is encouraging residents to protect themselves and loved ones from dangerous radon gas by testing their homes. To help, JCPH is offering 800 free radon test kits during the month of January (while supplies last, one per address and on a first come-first served basis) to Jefferson County residents.
JCPH will be mailing the test kits to residents. To sign up to receive your kit, please visit Radon Kit Request and fill out the form in its entirety. Due to production delays, kits will be mailed in early Spring.
Radon is a dangerous and naturally-occurring radioactive gas that you cannot smell, taste or see. People are exposed to radon primarily from breathing radon in air that enters homes and other buildings through cracks and gaps in foundations.
Radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and a top environmental cause of cancer nationwide. In Jefferson County, more than half of homes tested have high levels of radon. While there is always some radon in the air, high levels of exposure to radon over time can lead to a significant risk of developing lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer is even greater for smokers who are exposed to radon.
“Every year for National Radon Action Month, we encourage residents to test their homes, but this year, we want to emphasize how important it is to return the test for processing,” said Tracy Volkman, Senior Environmental Health Specialist at JCPH.
“Radon gas is dangerous, and you can’t take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your loved ones if you don’t know the results of the test.”
Homes who send kits in for results and receive results by the first week of May will be entered in a drawing for gift cards in amounts of $25, $15 and $10. JCPH strongly recommends residents use expedited mail when returning kits, as the time delay in the mail can causes kits to be invalid.
JCPH will only be able to provide one kit per request/address, so if you are requesting on behalf of an HOA or larger organization, please send this link to your residents and ask them to request their kit individually.
“After testing and returning the kit for processing, the next step is to take action to make your home safer,” Volkman said. “If we can find the places radon is getting trapped indoors, we can mitigate it and lessen the negative health effects it has on our community.”
Homeowners do not need to test for radon annually if their homes have recently tested below the maximum threshold (4 picocuries per liter). For homes that have recently tested below this, testing every 2-3 years is recommended. If your home has tested above this threshold, more comprehensive testing may be needed to gauge the severity of the problem. There is no safe level of radon, so even if your home tests below 4 picocuries per liter, you may still want to consider mitigation.
In addition to providing the free test kits, JCPH staff will be available to help homeowners understand how to use the test kits properly and what to do if the test results show high levels of radon in the air. If action is needed to reduce radon in a home, it’s important to test homes for radon again to be sure the action worked and the air is safe. Resources may be available for those whose homes test posi- tive for high levels of radon and who qualify through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (external link).
Testing your home, and installing proper air quality controls if high levels of radon exist, is an effective way to prevent the harmful effects radon can have on you and your family. Once the supply of free kits is exhausted, and throughout the remainder of 2022, radon test kits are available for purchase at JCPH for $10 each.
If you have questions about radon and your home’s risk, please visit our website to see frequently asked questions and helpful information.
Source: Jefferson County Public Health
