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For Immediate Release
Date: January 5, 2017
Contact: Leslie Piotrowski
(847) 377-8055
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Waukegan, Ill. –January has been designated
National Radon Action Month by the Environmental Protection Agency. In
connection with this observance, the Lake County Health Department/Community
Health Center is encouraging residents to check the radon levels of their homes
or apartments in January or during the winter months.
“The best time to check for radon
is during cold weather when windows and doors remain closed,” said Mark Pfister,
the Health Department’s Interim Executive Director. “Radon increases your risk of lung cancer, so
it is important to check the level in your home.”
Short-term test kits are available
through the Health Department for $10.00.
The cost includes return postage, laboratory analysis and interpretation
by Health Department staff. Test kits
are also available from area hardware and building supply stores.
Radon, an odorless and colorless
gas naturally found in rock and soil, seeps into homes through
cracks in the basement floor and foundation, crawl spaces, poorly sealed sump
pumps, floor drains, porous cinder block walls and other foundation floor and
wall penetrations. Although radon gas is
measurable everywhere, the highest readings are normally found in the basement
and first floor levels of homes and apartments.
“If radon is found in your home, it
is important to contact a radon professional to assess and prevent the radon
gas from continuing to enter your home,” said Pfister.
For additional information, contact
the Health Department’s Ecological Services at: (847) 377-8020 or visit: http://www.lakecountyil.gov/2291/Air-Quality.
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