Free Radon Test Kits Available In Pittsburgh: How To Get One

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Allegheny County Health Department is marking National Radon Action Month by providing more than 900 free radon test kits to people.

Across the state, 40 percent of homes are believed to have elevated radon levels, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes into homes from the ground. When breathed in, the radioactive particles move around in a person’s lungs and cause radiation damage to cells.

With an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year, radon is the second leading cause of the illness. The gas is completely undetectable by smell, taste, sight, or feel making the use of a test kit crucial to identifying the hazard. Testing regularly is the only reliable way to know if radon is in the home.

The test is for informational and awareness purposes only, as the health department does not regulate indoor radon levels. Kits can be obtained on weekdays from 8 a.m-4 p.m. at the at the health department's housing and community environment office at 3190 Sassafras Way in Polish Hill.

One kit per household will be given away while supplies last. The health department requests people call ahead at ahead at 412-350-4046.

The instructions include the address the test should be shipped to after it is run to be analyzed by a laboratory for results. The presence or absence of radon in one home of a neighborhood does not indicate the levels in other homes nearby, even next door. To learn more about radon, residents are encouraged to visit the program’s new radon webpage.

In addition, the Pennsylvania Department of Envrironmental Protection has an educational webpage on radon that includes a list of certified radon mitigation companies and a feature to search for the average radon test data within Pennsylvania by zip code.