With Tennesseans spending more time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation encourages households to take advantage of free radon test kits.
Gov. Bill Lee has declared January as Radon Action Month statewide.
“Knowing the level of radon in your home has always been important, but in the current environment, it’s even more important to be informed,” says Dr. Kendra Abkowitz, director of the Office of Policy and Sustainable Practices at TDEC. “The test kits are free, and we urge all Tennesseans to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and the No. 1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas that can threaten people’s health when it’s trapped in confined spaces. The breakdown of uranium in rocks and soils produces it. The only way to know if radon is in a home at levels that are harmful to one’s health is to test for it.
Request a free test kit at www.tn.gov/environment/radon or call 800-232-1139.
TDEC manages the Tennessee Radon Program, a statewide awareness and education initiative, where the goal is to educate the public about the risk of radon exposure in indoor environments.
Source: TDEC