Radon is a tasteless, odorless, colorless, radioactive gas that is naturally occurring in soil and rock. It enters buildings through openings in the foundation floor or walls. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, resulting in more than 21,000 new lung cancers each year (more than 600 of those in MI alone).

Jackson County is considered a Zone 1 county, which means that average radon levels are expected to be above the EPA’s 4.0 pico-Curies per liter (pCi/L) action level. Testing for radon is easy and inexpensive. Test kits are available from the Environmental Health Division of the Jackson County Health Department for $11.  The only way to know if your home has an elevated radon level is to test!

For more information on Radon, please visit the following sites.

Environmental Protection Agency

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

Center for Disease Control (You will need to scroll down the page.)