LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- January is Radon Action Month, and the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness is offering free radon test kits to residents while supplies last.
The kits come with an instruction sheet and postage to send it back to a lab to be analyzed for free.
According to a news release from the health department, radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Approximately 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked.
About 40% of homes in Kentucky are estimated to have unsafe levels of radon.
You can request a kit by clicking here or by calling 502-574-6650.
"Radon can exist at dangerous levels in homes in Louisville, but people may not know it because it’s a gas that you can’t smell or see," Dr. Sarah Moyer, director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and the city’s chief health strategist, said in a news release.
Here are a few tips from the health department to help prevent radon in your home:
Stop smoking and discourage smoking in your home.
- Smoking significantly increases the risk of lung cancer from radon
- Increase airflow in your house by opening windows and using fans and vents to circulate air
- Seal cracks in floors and walls with plaster, caulk, or other materials designed for this purpose
- Seek a qualified contractor to help remove the radon from your home
You can raise radon awareness in your community during National Radon Action Month by:
- Testing your home and encouraging friends and neighbors to test
- Requesting test kits for HOA or neighborhood watch meetings
- Organizing a time for everyone in your neighborhood to test their homes together
- Sharing the test kit information on your neighborhood’s Facebook page
For more information, click here.
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