Chautauqua County has free radon kits available as part of National Radon Awareness Week which takes place January 27 through 31.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths. In an effort to protect the public’s health in the county, the Chautauqua County Health Department encourages residents to test their homes for radon to determine if they are at risk of radon exposure.
Radon is an odorless, invisible, radioactive gas naturally released from rocks, soil, and water. Radon can get into homes and buildings through soil, small cracks or holes in your home’s foundation, or through water from a well or sump pump pit. Because radon is a heavy gas, the radon levels in a structure will be higher in lower floors such as a basement. Over time, breathing in high levels of radon can cause lung cancer.
Radon can build up in the air of homes and buildings. When you breathe in radon, its radioactive decay products can get trapped in your lungs. Over time, these radioactive materials increase the risk of lung cancer. It may take years before health problems appear.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that radon causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States each year. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths after cigarette smoking. People who smoke and are exposed to radon have a 10 times greater risk of developing lung cancer from radon exposure compared with people who do not smoke and are exposed to the same radon levels.
For more information on testing your home, visit EPA’s Radon website at EPA.gov/radon or call the National Radon Hotline at 1-800-SOS-RADON.
The Chautauqua County Health Department has a limited amount of FREE radon test kits available to Chautauqua County residents. For more information and to receive your free radon test kit call the Environmental Health office at 716-753-4481.
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