The Department of Environmental Quality is encouraging Michigan residents to visit their local health department this week as part of National Radon Action to learn more about this tasteless, odorless, colorless, radioactive gas, and pick up a test kit to test their home during the coming heating season.

Radon Action Week is an annual event initiated in 1990 by Congressional Resolution and later incorporated into National Indoor Air Quality Month, which takes place every October. Radon Action Week serves to encourage Americans to test their homes for radon and, as necessary, take action to reduce their exposure to this significant environmental hazard.

Radon is believed to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the leading cause among nonsmokers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that it results in more than 20,000 lung cancer cases each year, and a Michigan Public Health Institute report indicates that more than 600 of those may occur in Michigan alone.

Residential surveys estimate that more than one in eight Michigan homes would be expected to have a radon problem, and while some counties have a higher incidence than others, any home could have a problem. There are no warning signs or symptoms, so each home must be tested.

Testing is easy and inexpensive, and the Department of Environmental Quality is partnering with local health departments to ensure that radon test kits and literature are accessible to all Michigan residents. The kits generally cost $15 or less from county or city health departments, and the price includes postage and lab fees. Kits can also be found at some hardware stores or home improvement centers, but not all include postage and lab fees in the retail price, so consumers are urged to read the packaging before making their purchase.

Closed house conditions are required for radon screening measurements, so homes are best tested during the cold weather heating season when doors and windows are normally kept closed. If testing indicates an elevated radon level greater than 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/l) of air, additional testing should be done to confirm the problem. If the radon level is confirmed to be high, then action should be taken to reduce the radon levels.

For more information about radon, visit the DEQ Web site at http://www.michigan.gov/deqradon or contact the Radon Program at 1 800 RADON GAS (1 800 723 6642).

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised October 20, 2008 by Pat Watson