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• Radon test kits are half-price at Health Division offices during January.
• Environmental Health Service hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Radon testing kits are half-off at Oakland County Health Division offices during the month of January to mark National Radon Action Month. For only $5, residents can test their homes for the colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas which is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Testing your home is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk of radon exposure, since you cannot see, smell, or taste radon.

The Health Division recommends testing homes for radon gas during the winter months since windows and doors typically remain closed, allowing radon gas to collect inside and be more easily detected. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) encourages radon testing every two years as homes settle and new cracks form in the foundation that may cause radon levels to change.

Radon test kits for homes are available for purchase at Health Division offices in Pontiac and Southfield:

• North Oakland Health Center, 1200 Telegraph, Building 34E, Pontiac
• South Oakland Health Center, 27725 Greenfield Road, Southfield
• Hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

After January, the cost of a radon test kit will return to $10. There is no charge for mailing the kit to the lab or for the analysis and results. An envelope is included in the kit.

Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless gas. The gas can sometimes get into homes through cracks in floors or walls and can accumulate, becoming a health hazard. According to EGLE, approximately 30 percent of homes tested in Oakland County have had elevated levels of radon. The only way to know if your home has high radon levels is to test. If high levels of radon are found, contact the Health Division’s Environmental Health Services at 248-858-1312 in Pontiac or 248-424-7191 in Southfield for more information about radon mitigation and service providers.

Visit www.epa.gov/radon or www.oakgov.com/community/health for more information, or contact Nurse on Call, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, at 800-848-5533 or noc@oakgov.com. For up-to-date public health information, follow @publichealthOC on Facebook and Twitter.