January marks National Radon Action Month and Castle Country Radio was able to sit down with Southeast Utah Health Department’s (SEUHD) Environmental Scientist, Kirt Jensen to discuss radon awareness.

“So radon is a radio active gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and it comes from the soil in our area. It can come into your home through cracks in the foundation or in your basement,” said Jensen. Inhaling these invisible particles is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States behind smoking. The risk of lung cancer is extremely high if you do smoke and also live in a house with high radon levels.

Testing is the only way to know if your family is at risk. “Testing is pretty simply. All it entails is a test that you leave in your home for a couple of days in your basement, and then you send it off to the lab and they will give you results of concentration of radon,” stated Jensen. It’s really important to understand that radon can affect any house of any age and can even be more prevalent after a remodel. The state has radon tests for about $11.00, if that cost is prohibitive to you, the SEUHD has ways to help you get your home tested.

“So if there are issues found in your home or building then a radon fan will be installed that actively pulls radon from below your foundation and below your home and puts it outside,” explained Jensen.  The mitigation system becomes a permanent component of the home to increase airflow through ventilation between the foundation and bottom floor.

We have very low testing rates in the Carbon County, but the tests we do have are usually high so it’s a priority to increase testing to keep families safe. If you would like to have your home tested please contact the SEUHD. “So they can contact us at the health department our number there is (435) 637-3671 or (435) 636-1178. You can also do research on it for yourself just google the Utah Radon Coalition and it’s partnered up with Utah Department of Environmental Quality,” stated Jensen.