Saginaw County Health Department recently issued the following announcement.
Free radon test kits are available through January 31 at the health department, 1600 N. Michigan Avenue, Room 101. We encourage you to get a kit and test your home during the heating season and, if necessary, to take action to reduce your exposure to radon.
Remember, there are no warning signs or symptoms from exposure to radon. Testing your home is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk.
Radon is serious. It is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, causing more than 20,000 deaths annually in the United States. It is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that is naturally released from rock and soil. Radon gas can enter homes through the foundation resulting in an increased risk of exposure to radon radiation. Any home, regardless of age or structural type, may have elevated levels of radon, even if nearby homes do not.
Since testing has been available, roughly 15% of Saginaw County homes have been found with radon at or above EPA’s recommended action level of 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). This map shows test results 2010-2021.
For more information, call SCHD Environmental Health Services at (989) 758-3686 or visit www.saginawpublichealth.org. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has a toll-free number at 1-800-RADON GAS (1-800-723-6642). For information on your risk of developing lung cancer due to radon exposure, whether you are a smoker or non-smoker, visit the EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon.
Original source can be found here.
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