Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Radon, a cancer-causing radioactive gas, is found in homes throughout Nebraska and in Kimball County. The gas is odorless, tasteless, and invisible, but it can pose a danger to you and your family in your safest environment, your home.
Testing for radon is easy and takes just minutes. At Panhandle Public Health District, January is Radon Awareness month, and test kits are readily available. The test kits are easy and free. Call 308-487-3600 and request a test kit.
Radon is a byproduct of the natural decay of uranium and can seep into homes through cracks in the basement floors, drains, exposed soil, loose-fitting pipes, construction joints, and the water supply.
Facts from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services report that Nebraska ranks third in the country for radon. Their figures show 59% of homes are above the action level of 4.0 pCi/L.
Kimball County has an average radon concentration of 5-6 pCi/L.
Radon causes thousands of death each year because when you breathe the radon air, you get lung cancer. This includes smokers and non-smokers. Radon exposure is the number one cause of lung cancer.
Even if your home tests high for radon, the problem can be fixed relatively inexpensively.
A licensed radon measurement business must test schools and places of work. The American Lung Association and EPA recommend that all schools should be tested.