Take Action On Radon Testing, Holmdel Urges Residents

HOLMDEL, NJ — Unsafe radon levels in the home are a serious health threat, so the Township Committee is urging residents to test their homes for the gas.

On Tuesday, Mayor DJ Luccarelli and the Township Committee named January Radon Action Month in Holmdel.

And a limited number of test kits will be made available to residents in February under a grant the town received.

Radon is a naturally-occurring gas that can be found in some amount in all indoor and outdoor air. At times it can build-up to unsafe levels within a home.

The only way to know if your home has unsafe levels of radon is to test for it, the township says.

You can buy radon test kits online or at most hardware and home improvement stores.

The committee was awarded a grant to purchase a limited number of test kits that will be distributed to Holmdel residents. The township is still in the process of obtaining test kits, and hopes that the kits will be available for residents in February, the township said.

The town will notify residents via social media and the township's website when the limited number of free kits becomes available. There is no additional information about the kits at this time, the township advised.

For more information about the effects of radon gas, you can visit this Centers for Disease Control at this CDC link.

As the CDC explains it, all outdoor and indoor air has some radon in it. Some building materials also can release low levels of radon. Radon can build up in the air in any home or building whether it has a basement, is sealed or drafty, or is new or old. There is no known safe level of radon and you should always aim to have the lowest level.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends fixing your home if radon levels are above 4 picoCuries per liter of air (pCi/L).

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. The EPA and the Surgeon General’s office estimate radon is responsible for more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States, the CDC says.

When you breathe in radon, radioactive particles from the decay of radon gas can get trapped in your lungs.

The only way to know if you have unsafe levels of radon in your home or office is by testing. You can contact your state radon office for testing, or use a test kit.

If your test shows that radon levels are above 4pCi/L or you are interested in reducing radon in your home, contact your state radon office to help you find a qualified or state-certified radon contractor in your area to fix your home.

According to the CDC site, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recommends certain actions you can take to reduce your risks of lung cancer and help lower radon levels in your home:

• Increase air flow in your house by opening windows and using fans and vents to circulate air. However, natural ventilation in any type of house is only a temporary strategy to reduce radon.
• Seal cracks in floors and walls with plaster, caulk, or other mate­rials designed for this purpose.
• You can cover the earth floor in crawl spaces with a high-density plastic sheet. A vent pipe and fan can be used to blow the radon from under the sheet and vent it to the outdoors