Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Health Department Offering Free Radon Test Kits <br />By Chris Grunert <br />Posted January 6, 2016 at 2:11 pm <br />The Orange County Health Department is offering free radon testing kits to use in your home. <br />Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the number one <br />leading cause among non - smokers. <br />Radon is a naturally occurring gas but when high levels enter a house it can become toxic, <br />according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It is a colorless, odorless gas that can seep <br />through cracks in the walls. <br />The EPA has identified more than 20,000 deaths each year from radon exposure. <br />The best way to protect you and your family from radon is to test your home. If unsafe levels of <br />radon are identified, there are radon reduction systems that can reduce levels in a home by up to <br />99 percent, according to the Orange County Health Department. <br />Radon is present at elevated levels in about seven percent of homes in North Carolina, according <br />to data collected by the Radiation Protection Section in the Division of Health Service <br />Regulation. <br />This month is National Radon Action Month, so the Health Department is offering free test kits <br />while supplies last. The free kits are available at the Orange County Health Department's <br />Environmental Health Office located at 131 West Margaret Lane, Suite 100 in Hillsborough. <br />