Check your home during Radon Action month

The Lake County Health Department encourages residents to check the radon levels of their homes or apartments in January, which is National Radon Action month.

“The best time to check for radon is during cold weather when windows and doors remain closed,” said Irene Pierce, the health department’s executive director. “Radon increases your risk of lung cancer, so it is important to check the level in your home.”

Short-term test kits are available through the health department for $10. The cost includes return postage, laboratory analysis and interpretation by health department staff. Test kits are also available from area hardware and building supply stores.

Radon, an odorless and colorless gas naturally found in rock and soil, seeps into homes from the soil through cracks in the basement floor and foundation, crawl spaces, poorly sealed sump pumps, floor drains, porous cinder block walls and other foundation floor and wall penetrations. Although radon gas is measurable everywhere, the highest readings are normally found in the basement and first floor levels of homes and apartments.

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America and claims the lives of about 20,000 Americans each year.

A new law went into effect on Jan. 1, to help people who rent apartments, condominiums or houses access information about radon levels in their homes. The law requires owners of rental units to inform renters in writing before a lease is signed if the rental space has been tested for radon and that a radon hazard may exist.

If the rental unit hasn’t been tested, a renter can conduct a do-it-yourself radon test or ask the owner to test by hiring a licensed radon contractor. If a renter conducts a radon test in the rental unit and results show high radon levels, the renter should inform the building owner in writing. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency recommends all rental units below the third floor be tested for radon.

Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air. The Environmental Protection Agency has established 4 picocuries per liter of air as an “action level” at which consideration should be given to reducing indoor radon levels. The only way to determine radon levels in a home or apartment is to test in the lowest living area.

Studies show radon occurs in every county in Illinois. A recent study found 20 percent of the homes were tested in Lake County had indoor radon levels of 4 picocuries per liter of air or greater.

Call (847) 377-8030 for information.