January is National Radon Action Month and the Allegheny County Health Department’s (ACHD) Housing and Community Environment Program is providing more than 900 free radon test kits for residents.
Across the state 40 percent of homes are believed to have elevated radon levels, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes into homes from the ground. When breathed in, the radioactive particles move around in a person’s lungs and cause radiation damage to cells.
With an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year, radon is the second leading cause of the illness. The gas is completely undetectable by smell, taste, sight, or feel making the use of a test kit crucial to identifying the hazard. Testing regularly is the only reliable way to know if radon is in the home.
The test is for informational and awareness purposes only, as ACHD does not regulate indoor radon levels. Pick up a test M-F between 8 AM and 4 PM at the Housing and Community Environment office (3190 Sassafras Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15201). One kit per household while supplies last so call ahead at 412-350-4046.
The easy-to-follow instructions include the address the test should be shipped to after it is run to be analyzed by a laboratory for results. With the results of the test, residents are able to make an informed decision on how best to protect their lung health.
According to the EPA, remediation for radon, done by a certified contractor, should be completed at 4pCi/L or higher, but is recommended for results as low as 2pCi/L.
The presence or absence of radon in one home of a neighborhood does not indicate the levels in other homes nearby, even right next door. To learn more about radon, residents are encouraged to visit the program’s new radon webpage.Â
In addition, the Pennsylvania DEP has an educational webpage on radon that includes a list of certified radon mitigation companies and a feature to search for the average radon test data within Pennsylvania by zip code.