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OREM — Testing kits are being offered for $10 this month as Habitat for Humanity of Utah County, along with Utah County Health Department and Utah Department of Environmental Quality, work to educate the community about the health risks of radon exposure.
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers in Utah and the second-leading cause among smokers, according to Habitat for Humanity of Utah County.
Because the gas is odorless and colorless, testing is the only way to discover a home's radon level, officials said. To encourage community members to check their homes for the cancer-causing gas, Habitat for Humanity is selling test kits for $10 at its ReStores in Orem and Spanish Fork. The kits are also available online at habitatuc.org/radon.htm.
In addition, the Utah County Health Department can arrange for free radon testing, during which they bring a monitor to a resident's home. After two days, they pick up the monitor and give the homeowner the reading.
If radon test results show 4 pico liters or above in a home, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that the owner install a radon mitigation system. A list of certified systems is available at the Utah County Health Department.
