JACKSON, Wyo. — January is National Radon Action Month and the Teton County Health Department (TCHD) is reminding residents to test their residence, office or rental for radon.
Short-term radon test kits are available for $10 at the Teton County Health Department, located at 460 East Pearl Avenue in Jackson.
Teton County is designated a Zone 1 Radon Area, meaning the predicted average indoor screening levels are greater than the Environmental Protection Agency’s threshold of 4 picoCuries per liter of air (pCi/L), TCHD wrote in a press release.
According to TCHD, radon is a radioactive gas that naturally occurs from the breakdown of uranium in rocks, soil and groundwater. Radon gas enters homes and buildings from the soil beneath and can build up to high levels indoors.
“Any building can have a radon problem, whether it is old or new, well-sealed or drafty, with or without a basement or crawlspace,” TCHD said via press release.
When people breathe radon, the radioactive decay causes damage to lung tissue, which can increase the likelihood of developing lung cancer. The Surgeon General of the United States has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the country.
Radon is colorless, odorless and tasteless, so testing is needed to detect the gas in a home. If elevated levels are detected, residents are encouraged to get their homes or offices inspected or mitigated by a certified radon professional, the TCHD said in a statement.
“If you have never tested your home or office, or if it has been a few years since you last tested, consider stopping by the Health Department to purchase a test kit,” TCHD wrote.
For more information, call the Health Department’s Environmental Health Division at 307-732-8490 or stop by the office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to purchase a test kit. To learn more about radon from the Environmental Protection Agency, visit www.epa.gov/radon.
