It’s a good time to check your home for radon

Radon results compiled 1994-2014 from kits distributed by Washtenaw County Environmental Health. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that you take action to reduce the amount of radon in your home if your home has a radon level of 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher. An average indoor level is approximately 1.3 pCi/L. Homes in Manchester’s zipcode have on average 12 pCi/L. This map is to be used for informational purposes only as site specific results may vary. For more information please contact Washtenaw County Environmental Health at 734-222-3800. They encourage every home to be tested.

Did you know that Washtenaw is in the highest zone for potential radon? And of all of the parts of the county, that Manchester-area residences have the highest average radon levels?

With Covid and lead in the news recently, radon might not even be on your radar. But, as January is National Radon Action Month, it is the perfect time to find out if there is radon in your home. 

Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas formed by the breakdown of uranium. Radon is tasteless, colorless, and odorless, and is found in many types of soil and rocks. It can enter homes through cracks in foundations, sump pump crocks, crawl spaces, or other openings. It is the number one cause of lung cancer for non-smokers. You can’t see, smell, or taste radon — you need to test your home for it. 

Through the end of January you can pick up do-it-yourself radon test kits for $5 from Washtenaw County’s Environmental Health Division in Ann Arbor. Call 734-222-3800 to request a radon test kit and schedule a time to pick it up in their lobby at 705 N Zeeb Road in Ann Arbor. Lobby pick-up is available from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday.

Alternatively, you can order a radon kit online for $12.95 to be shipped to your home. (These are the same type of kits distributed by the county). Laboratory analysis and shipping are included in the price. Order at https://mi.radon.com

The Washtenaw County Health Department’s webpage on radon levels states, “Since the late 1980s, radon tests have been taken throughout Michigan and the United States. The data was collected and compared to geological formations to generate the map below. Based on this information, about 12% of Michigan’s single family, detached homes can be expected to have indoor radon levels greater than 4 pCi/L. But Zone 1 areas, including Washtenaw County, have a greater potential for elevated indoor radon levels. In some cases, more than 40% of the homes could have a radon problem. However, it is important to note that elevated radon levels have been found in homes in all three zones.”

It is important to note that any home can have a radon problem — new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements. The only way to know your home’s radon level is to test!

For more information visit https://www.washtenaw.org/1842/Radon

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.