Limited Number Of Radon Test Kits Available For Residents: Darien

Information via Darien Health Department

DARIEN, CT — The Darien Health Department is offering a limited number of radon test kits for residents.

Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas that is found throughout the United States.

Most of the time, it is harmlessly dispersed in outdoor air, but it can reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings and homes, the Darien Health Department said in a news release.

Exposure to elevated levels of radon has been shown to cause lung damage and cancer in humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year.

Since the only way to know if your home has elevated radon levels is to test, the Darien Health Department has made arrangements with the State Department of Public Health to offer free test kits to residents.

Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple. When discovered, radon problems can be fixed or mitigated by qualified contractors at a reasonable cost by the installation of ventilation systems, sealing entry routes for radon gas and/or installing sub-slab depressurization systems to reduce radon levels.

Radon gas is drawn into a house through foundation cracks and openings, such as sump pump pits and plumbing features. The lower levels of your home tend to have the highest levels of radon and pose the highest risk.

The best time to test for radon is during the winter when the home is closed up and the furnace is running. The US EPA recommends that homes with radon levels at four or more picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air have mitigation systems installed.

Even if the radon test result is below 4 pCi/L, additional testing should be done at some point in the future, especially if you occupy the lower level of your home, or planning a renovation, such as converting an unfinished basement area into a living space.

Tests will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.