Test your home for radon
January is National Radon Action Month and a perfect time to test your home for radon.

An invisible, odorless, radioactive gas, radon occurs naturally in rocks and soil. It enters homes through cracks and other openings in home foundations.

“We have a lot of granite in Georgia and the likelihood of having trace uranium is very high,” said Ginger Bennett, a UGA cooperative extension radon educator.

Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and the leading cause among nonsmokers.

Radon is a result of the natural breakdown of uranium in soil and rock. Uranium takes a long time to decay, and radon gas is one of the last stages.

Testing your home for elevated levels of radon is simple and inexpensive. You can buy test kits at hardware and home improvement stores or directly from radon testing companies for less than $25.

Through an EPA grant, complimentary radon test kits are available to Georgia homeowners from their local Cooperative Extension offices. If the first test results show a high reading, a second test is recommended to get an average.

To learn more about on the radon education program, visit www.gafamilies.com/housing/radon. To order a free radon test kit from your County Extension office, call 1-800-ASK-UGA1.