Free radon test kits available during January

January 16, 2020

January is National Radon Action Month, and free radon test kits are available during the month.

Photo by Debbie Carter. Short-term radon kits such as this can be used to test for the presence of radon over a two- to four-day period. The test can help identify the need for longer-term testing.

Art Nash, the energy specialist with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, said January is a good time to test for the radioactive gas. When doors and windows are sealed tightly, radon levels inside the home can rise. Radon develops when uranium in bedrock and soil decays, and it can enter a building through cracks and holes in a building’s foundation.

The Environmental Protection Agency says radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. Nash said that if you haven’t tested for radon in the past five years, retesting is recommended. Residents of Anchorage, the Mat-Su area or Eagle River are especially encouraged to retest. The shaking following the November 2018 earthquake shifted the ground and could have damaged buildings, making them more vulnerable to radon.

Short-term radon test kits are available through an outreach agreement with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. To order a test kit for a home or business in the Anchorage Bowl area, call Extension at 907-786-6330. Others may contact the Alaska Radon Hotline at 800-478-8324.