Radon
You Can’t See It
You Can’t Smell It
You Can’t Taste It
But it may be in your home.
Radon is a radioactive gas that is colorless and odorless. It originates in the soil from the natural decay of uranium that exists in or below most soils and enters homes through cracks, around pipes, through sump pumps and drain tiles. The only way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test for it. Iowa has the highest percentage of homes in the nation with elevated radon levels.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, and the number one cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that radon causes approximately 21,000 deaths per year nationally; most of these are preventable.
The EPA and the Iowa Health and Human Services (IHHS) recommend that all Iowa homes be tested for radon and homes with elevated levels should be fixed.
The only way to now if radon is in your home is to test for it.
Radon Testing
Testing for radon is easy and inexpensive. Short-term radon test kits are available to walk-in customers at Wapello County Public Health.
Wapello County Public Health gives short term test kits year round. The kits are free. They are given to homeowners ONLY.
