This is National Radon Awareness Week and Nebraska Gov Pete Ricketts earlier proclaimed January as Radon Action Month in the state.
Radon is a naturally-occurring odorless radioactive gas created by the decay of uranium in the ground.
It’s the second-leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking, responsible for more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States each year. Smoke and second-hand smoke increase that risk.
Radon is released from rocks, soil, and water, with Nebraska third in the nation in the potential for high radon levels because of its geology.
The only way to know if your home has dangerous levels of radon is through testing and winter is the best time for that since windows and doors are closed, making it easier to measure buildups of the gas.
The Panhandle Public Health District has free radon test kits available for Panhandle residents, but agency spokesman Melissa Haas says they’re currently on back-order.
She’s hopeful they will arrive next month, so she’s asking anyone wanting a radon test kit to contact PPHD and leave their contact information so they can be notified when the radon kits are in.
You can contact Haas by emailing her at mhaas@pphd.org or by calling at either 308-487-3600 ext 108 or toll-free 866-701-7173 ext 108.