You can’t see or smell radon. Testing is the only way to know your level of exposure.
Radon is a radioactive gas that forms naturally when uranium, thorium, or radium, which are radioactive metals, break down in rocks, soil, and groundwater. People can be exposed to radon primarily from breathing radon in air that comes through cracks and gaps in buildings and homes. Because radon comes naturally from the earth, people are always exposed to it.
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked.
Story County Environmental Health will be giving away 50 radon test kits to Story County residents on a first-come-first-serve basis throughout the month of January. (Limit one per resident)
Radon test kits can be purchased for $10 year-round at the Environmental Health Department (located on the lower level of the Administration Building at 900 6th Street, Nevada).
A random drawing will be held for those who receive radon test kits for a prize bag containing a radon test for a friend or loved one, along with other goodies ($40 value).
