You can't see it, you can't smell it and you can't taste it, but high levels of radon gas may be in your home, increasing your risk of lung cancer. However, with a radon detection kit, free during the month of January, homeowners can use the kits to find out if their home has radon gas, and if it does, can lower it.
Easy do-it-yourself radon test kits are available for free to residents of Barry and Eaton counties during the Radon Action Month of January. Pick up one test kit per address at one of the following locations and follow the instructions.
In Barry County
Delton: Cloverdale General Store, 7651 South M-43 Highway.
Dowling Public Library: 1765 East Dowling Road.
BEDHD/Hastings: 330 West Woodlawn Avenue.
Middleville: Village Office, 100 East Main Street.
Nashville: Good Time Pizza, 501 North Main Street.
Lake Odessa: Terry’s Woodbury Café, 7170 Saddlebag Road.
In Eaton County
Bellevue: Riverside Café, 420 East Capital Avenue.
BEDHD/Charlotte: 1033 Healthcare Drive.
Eaton Rapids: Robin’s Nest, 6053 South Clinton Trail.
Lansing: Delta Township Hall, 7710 West Saginaw Highway.
Mulliken: Swede’s Restaurant, 89 West Grand Ledge Highway.
Olivet: Fay’s Willow Tree Café and Bakery, 107 North Main Street.
For more information, visit the Environmental Health section of http://www.barryeatonhealth.org/ and click on “Indoor Air Quality.” Or, call or visit the BEDHD in Hastings (945-9516) or Charlotte (517-541-2615). //
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of radium, a natural decay product of uranium. Both radium and uranium are found in almost any kind of soil and rock, often in very small amounts.
Radon gas moves up through the soil and enters buildings through cracks and openings in the foundation floor or walls, and other openings caused by plumbing, wiring, or ductwork.
Outdoors, radon is diluted by the atmosphere to safe levels. Indoors, it tends to be more concentrated. According to a Michigan survey, high levels of radon are expected in one out of eight homes in Michigan.
In some counties, as many as 45 percent of the homes have had radon levels above the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) recommended action level (4 pCi/L). The only way to know if your home has high radon levels is to test it.
