Wilton Health Department
Barrington A. Bogle,RS MPH CHES
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH
Jennifer M. Zbell, RS
SANITARIAN
Town Hall Annex
238 Danbury Road
Wilton, CT06897
P-203-563-0174
F-203-563-0148
NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 28th 2015
WILTON:TimetoTestforRadon
New videoshows howtotestyourhomefor radon; testingis inexpensive and easy
Hartford— The State Department ofPublicHealth (DPH) urgesConnecticutresidents to testtheirhomesfor radongas, theleadingcause oflungcancer in non-smokers.Healthofficialsestimate thatradon is responsible formore than 21,000 lung cancer deaths eachyearin the UnitedStates.
Anaturallyoccurringradioactivegasformedfromthe natural decayofuranium, radon is found in rock,soil andwater. Whileradon in outdoor air poses arelativelylow threat to humanhealth, it can enterhomesfrom thesurroundingsoil and becomeahealth hazard inside buildings.
Becauseyoucan’t seeorsmellradon,people areoften unaware that this silentkiller could bein theirhomes.Testingfor radonandreducingelevated levels is importantandcouldsaveyour life orthe lives ofyour loved ones.
The DPH RadonProgramrecommendsthatallConnecticuthomes should be testedforradon. Testingisrecommended in thewinter months, when radon tends to be highest. Testinghomes for radon is simpleandinexpensive.
The Wilton Health Department is offering radontest kitsfree. Additionally, Radontest kits can be purchasedat manyhardware stores and from theAmericanLungAssociation of New Englandbycalling860-289-5401 orvisiting their website at:
The U.S.EnvironmentalProtection Agencyrecommends thathomeswithradonlevelsat 4.0 pCi/Lorhigher should befixed. Homeowners can further reduce their potential lung cancer riskbyfixinghomesthatare below 4 pCi/L.Smokers exposed to radonhave a much higher riskfor developinglungcancer.
Radonproblemscan becorrectedbyqualified radon contractors,withcosts typicallyrangingbetween
$1,200 and $1,500. A homeowner should hirea qualifiedradonmitigation(reduction)contractor todecreaseairborneradon levels.
DPH produceda new video,whichprovidesstep-by-step instruction on howto testyourhomefor radon.
Tolearnmoreabout radon and to obtain alist of qualifiedradonmitigationcontractors, pleasevisit theDPH RadonProgram web site at (860) 509-7367.Or contact the Wilton Health Department at the above address and phone number.