GREENSBORO, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will give away 6,000 free radon testing kits this month.
What You Need To Know
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that’s found throughout North Carolina
Radon is the second-most common cause for lung cancer behind smoking
The NCDHHS is giving away 6,000 free radon testing kits for national Radon Action Month in January
Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that is naturally occurring in all 100 counties of North Carolina. It can be found in the ground, and over time, the gas can seep through the lowest points of homes and buildings. Radon exposure is the second-most common cause of lung cancer behind smoking. Nearly 22,000 people die from radon-induced lung cancer each year, according to NCDHHS.
Currently, there are no laws mandating radon testing in homes in North Carolina. For homeowners and business owners to better protect themselves, NCDHHS will be giving away testing kits. January is Radon Action Month.
Dr. Ronny Bell, director of cancer health equity at Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, is emphasizing the importance of testing for radon in the home. North Carolina residents can go online to NCRadon.org and request a testing kit.
“We want to make sure that people are staying safe. A lot of people don’t know that radon is a risk for lung cancer,” Bell said.
Once receiving the kit, open the packet and read the instructions inside. Document the time and place you’re testing in your home and hang the test at eye-level for three to seven days. After, record the time testing finished, seal the envelope and send it back in the mail. Bell say the results will be posted online in about a week.
“There are what we call mitigating strategies, so if you do the test and it comes back high then you would want to retest just to make sure everything worked appropriately, then you would want to look into ways that you could get rid of the radon exposure in your home,” Bell says.
There are mitigation teams and equipment that can be used in the home to cut down on radon levels, but homeowners will have to weigh the costs. The average estimated cost to lower levels in the home is about $1,500.
“In our basement, we’re really not down here very much, and so you’d have to weigh the amount of exposure that you have in your home as compared to the expense that would go into getting rid of the radon in your home,” Bell says.
For people who may not be able to afford radon mitigation, there are options. Family care providers can get testing kits and financial support through a Family, Friend and Neighbor Care partnership. Reach out to Shannon Heck at sheck@imprintscares.org for more information. Phillip Gibson with the North Carolina Radon Program is available to speak with homeowners associations, real estate firms and medical practitioners across the state. To learn more, give him a call at (828) 712-0972.