January is National Radon Action Month, and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is encouraging South Carolinians to become familiar with the risks of radon when it’s present inside homes.
Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is dispersed in outdoor air, but which can reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings.
“Elevated levels of radon have been found in homes in almost every county of South Carolina. Two homes right next to each other can have different radon levels,” said Rhonda Thompson, Bureau of Air Quality Chief. “The only way to know if a home has high radon levels is to test.”
The South Carolina Radon Program is offering a free home radon test kit. Test kits can be requested at www.scdhec.gov/radon. Radon test kits can also be purchased from the National Radon Program, (www.sosradon.org, 1-800-767-7236) for $15.
For more information about radon, visit www.scdhec.gov/radon, email radon@dhec.sc.gov, or call 1-800-768-0362.