As the turning of the seasons brings colder weather to North Carolina and families close windows to keep warm, it is an excellent time to make plans for radon testing in your home.

Radon is a natural result of uranium decaying in our rock and soil. Radon is undetectable without radon testing. Radon has no smell and is a colorless naturally occurring radioactive element. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and is responsible for more than 20,000 deaths annually in the United States.

On December 16, 2019, the Alamance County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution, presented by Phillip Gibson, the NC Radon Program Coordinator, proclaiming January as National Radon Action Month. Each year upwards to 21,000 people die from radon-induced lung cancer. In 2015, lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths in N.C.

The NC Radon Program will be providing 3,000 free radon test kits through their website (www.ncradon.org) beginning the first week of January 2020. They are also working with the NC Cooperative Extension Service and a number of other partners in providing four free webinars on radon during National Radon Action Month.

Nearly one out of every 15 homes in the U.S. is likely to have a high level of radon. There have been homes in all 100 counties of N.C. that have tested at high levels for radon. The only way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test it. Please call the Alamance County Health Department’s Environmental Health Section at 336-570-6367 ext. 310 if you have questions.


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