Weld County Health Department offers free Radon test kits

By Kelly Imus, Health Communications Supervisor

Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment

When we hear the term environmental pollutant, several images may come to mind. An image of your home is probably not one of them.

Your home, however, can be a source of a very harmful environmental pollutant known as radon.

This odorless, colorless, radioactive gas typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through the cracks and other holes in your home's foundation. Your home acts as a cell in which radon can settle and build up to toxic levels.

Long-term radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in smokers.

Radon results from the radioactive decay of uranium, which occurs naturally in soil. Due to Colorado's geologic makeup, 52 of the state's 64 counties (including Weld County) are at high risk for radon.

The gas moves unpredictably through soil, so it's possible for radon to infiltrate one home, but not the home next door. Nearly 46 percent of all homes in Colorado are estimated to have elevated radon levels.

The only way to know if your home has radon is to test. It is simple, and right now the Weld County Department of Public Health & Environment is offering free short-term radon kits, one per household, while supplies last.

Test kits can be picked up at 1555 N. 17th Ave. in Greeley; or at our southwest county offices at 4209 County Road 24½, Longmont. Both offices are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

January is an ideal month to test your home for radon, because short-term tests require closed windows and doors. Testing is easy, and it's the only way to know for certain if your health is at risk, and if you need to install a mitigation system to prevent harm to you and your loved ones.

The Weld County Department of Public Health & Environment urges all Weld County residents to take action by testing their homes for elevated levels of radon. It is a serious public health hazard with a straightforward solution.

For more information on radon, radon testing, and radon mitigation call the Weld County Department of Public Health & Environment at 970-304-6415, ext. 2226, or go to www.epa.gov/radon.