Champaign-Urbana Public Health District

Radon Gas Causes More Than 20,000 Lung Cancer Deaths in the Country Each Year

Tuesday - Jan 06, 2015

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Encourages Citizens to Test Their Homes with a Radon Test Kit

CHAMPAIGN, IL - January is National Radon Action Month and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) encourages citizens to learn more about the threat of radon and to test their homes for the presence of radon. CUPHD has radon test kits available for $10. Test kits may be picked up at the Environmental Health division of CUPHD located at 201 West Kenyon Road in Champaign; kits are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to Noon and 1:00 to 4:00 PM.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exposure to indoor radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released into the air from decaying matter in rocks, soil and water. While levels in outdoor air are relatively harmless, radon can accumulate to dangerous levels inside buildings. Radon is an invisible threat; it cannot be seen, smelled or tasted. The only way to detect radon is to perform a radon test.

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