January is National Radon Action Month. Kentucky is recognized for having high levels of the colorless and odorless gas. Barrett Schoeck is an Environmental Specialist with the Fayette County Health Department. Schoeck warns that radon levels can change due to home renovations. "Some homes might test low and say, you put a bathroom or something in your basement, you then could potentially increase your radon levels because you're creating holes in your foundation," said Schoeck.
The EPA designated radon reading, which signals the need for mitigation, is anything above four picocuries per liter.
Schoeck says some newer homes have built-in radon testing systems but many are not operational. "Some of the passive systems are not even hooked up to where they are just in place. For the future if you do test, and have high levels, it would be a lot more cost effective to hook up the existing system than it would be to install a new one," added Schoeck.
Schoeck says the Fayette County Health Department is offering free short-term radon test kits for the home. Radon has been shown to cause lung cancer. ?
