County urges home radon testing

Since spring is around the corner, the Sheboygan County Division of Public Health encourages residents to test for radon before the windows and screen doors start opening. Kits are available through the Division of Public Health, local hardware stores or can be completed by a professional tester.

Radon is a radioactive gas found in soil that can accumulate in homes through cracks in the foundation or through openings around pipes and sump pumps.

The EPA estimates that 21,000 Americans die each year from lung cancer caused by radon exposure, which means more people die from lung cancer caused by radon than drunk driving, falls in the home, drowning and home fires. In 2006, nearly 30 percent of the homes tested in Sheboygan County had radon levels that were considered in need of action.

Testing for radon is a simple process. Place a kit in the lowest level of your home that is used regularly. When the kit is done, mail it to a lab for analysis. For an accurate sampling, it is best to test when the windows are closed.

For more information or to order a kit from the Division of Public Health, call (920) 459-4382, send an email to publichealth@co.sheboygan.wi.us or stop in during business hours at the Health and Human Services Building, 1011 N. 8th Street in Sheboygan.