It’s time to test for radon

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Winter is the right time to test for radon and January is best of all.

Why January? We emphasize radon awareness and testing this month because houses/buildings are built tighter, so there is less ventilation through the house. This makes it more difficult for radon to escape to the outside. But, it’s important to remember the dangers of radon every month.

What is radon?

Radon is gas that has no color, odor, or taste and comes from the natural radioactive breakdown of uranium in the ground. You can be exposed to radon by two main sources:

-Radon is in the air in your home (frequently called “radon in indoor air”) and radon is in drinking water.

-Radon can get into the air you breathe and into the water you drink. Radon is also found in small amounts in outdoor air.

Most of the radon in indoor air comes from soil underneath the home. As uranium breaks down, radon gas forms and seeps into the house through cracks in the floors and walls, through floor drains and sump pumps and in basements or crawl spaces. Radon from soil can get into any type of building — homes, offices and schools — and build up to high levels in the air inside the building.

To help educate the citizens of Champaign County, the Champaign Health District has set up displays in the area at libraries in St. Paris, Mechanicsburg and Urbana, and information on ordering test kits.

For more information on radon, call Champaign Health District at 937-484-1606 or visit our website at: www.champaignhd.com/radon.

Fix leaks, save a life

By Steve Moore

Submitted by Steve Moore on behalf of the Champaign Health District.

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