What is Radon and Why Should I Be Concerned?

Iowa leads the nation in the percentage of homes with high levels of radon gas. Radon is an odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas that is produced from the decay of naturally occurring uranium in the soil.

Risks occur when this gas enters buildings and people breathe in the gas, which can damage lungs and cause lung cancer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, all of Iowa is located in Zone 1, meaning that Iowa homes have a very high potential for elevated levels of radon gas.

Grinnell Regional Public Health offers a radon testing kit for $5. This kit measures radon levels and based on the results, you can determine if a radon mitigation action plan is needed. To receive a $5 testing kit, stop by Grinnell Regional Public Health at the Light Center for Community Health, 305 4^th Avenue, Grinnell; call the Radon Hotline at 800-383-5992; or order online at www.IDPH.State.IA.US/radon.