Genesee County Health Department

Better Life Through Better Health

DEPARTMENT OFFERS FREE RADON TEST KITS

Genesee County Health Department is offering free test kits for local residents to check the radon gas levels in their homes as part of National Radon Action Week, October 19^th through 25^th, 2003.

Radon is a Class A known human carcinogen according to the US Department of Health and Human Services and the EPA. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., causing approximately 22,000 deaths each year. The first cause is smoking.

Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless gas that is harmlessly dispersed in outdoor air, but when trapped in buildings, can be harmful at elevated levels. As the weather cools, we spend more time indoors with windows and doors closed, potentially increasing the radon levels in our homes.  The only way to know if a building has radon gas is to test for it. 

It is easy to check your home for radon gas. Test kits are available at area hardware stores, home improvement centers, direct from laboratories, and from the local health department. If elevated levels are found, they can be reduced.

Free short-term radon test kits are available from the Genesee County Health Department during normal business hours through the month of October. Please stop by and pick one up today. The Genesee County Health Department is located at 630 S. Saginaw Street in Flint.

If you have questions regarding radon testing, please call the Environmental Health Division of the Genesee County Health Department at (810) 257-3603.

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