Test Your Home for Radon with a Free Kit from Weld County

Published on January 03, 2020

Weld County – Radon is an odorless, colorless, radioactive gas caused by the breakdown of uranium. Uranium is found mostly in rock formations but also can be found in soil and water. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through the miniscule cracks in your home’s foundation or smalls spaces around utility pipes. Long-term radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer among smokers.

Approximately half of Colorado homes have radon levels in excess of the EPA-recommended action level, and all 64 Colorado counties are rated at high risk for elevated radon. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year.

“However,” says Dr. Mark Wallace, MD, MPH, Executive Director of the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment, “because you can’t see or smell radon, people tend to downplay the health effects and ignore the possibility that there might be a silent killer in their homes.”

The Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment urges residents to take action during this year’s National Radon Action Month by testing their homes for radon. Weld County residents can received a free radon test kit (one per household, while supplies last). 

Testing is easy and it’s the only way to know for certain if your health is at risk. For more information on radon, radon testing, and radon mitigation call the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment at (970) 400-2226.