January is National Radon Action Month. Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department (ELVPHD) has short-term radon test kits, while supplies last. The kits are available for $15, plus sales tax.
Radon is a naturally occurring gas in the soil that you cannot see or smell. It enters your home through cracks in the foundation, walls, or water pipes. Radon is a concern because it is the second leading cause of lung cancer overall and the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that homes with radon levels of 4 pCi/L be mitigated. In Nebraska, nearly one in two homes has levels well above the safe zone. Over the past several years, the average radon level in tested homes in the health department’s service area or Burt, Cuming, Stanton and Madison counties has averaged between 7.5 to 10.4 pCi/L, twice the level considered safe. Testing your home for radon is easy, inexpensive and the only way to know if you have an unsafe radon level. Testing is best to complete in winter months when windows are closed.
You can purchase test kits online by visiting us at https://elvphd.ne.gov/Radon-Kits or pick up a kit at one of ELVPHD’s three office locations in Wisner, Norfolk, or Tekamah Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For questions about radon, please call ELVPHD at 402-529-2233 or email info@elvphd.ne.gov.