Reminder to homeowners to test for cancer-causing gas

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LAS VEGAS – University of Nevada, Reno Extension’s Radon Education Program is offering free short-term radon test kits to Nevadans through Feb. 28. Radon test kits are available at Extension offices and partnering locations statewide.

Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that is colorless, odorless and tasteless. It comes from the ground and can accumulate in homes, raising the risk of lung cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates 21,000 Americans die each year from radon-caused lung cancer, killing more people than secondhand smoke, drunk driving and house fires.

Photo courtesy of the Nevada Radon Education Program – Free home radon test kits will be available at the Caliente Extention Office until Feb. 28.

In Nevada, one in four homes tested show radon concentrations at or above the EPA action level. According to experts, living in a home with radon concentrations at the action level poses a similar risk of developing lung cancer as smoking about half a pack of cigarettes a day.

The risk of radon-caused lung cancer can be reduced. A simple three-day test can determine if a house has a radon problem, and winter is an ideal time to test a home for radon. If radon problems are found, they can be fixed. 

Free test kits are available through Feb. 28 at the Extension office in Caliente, 360 Lincoln St., (775) 726-3109.

A list of test kit locations can be found on the Radon website at https://extension.unr.edu/radon/pub.aspx?PubID=2582.

Nevadans can also request a free test kit online at https://2021freeradonkit.eventbrite.com/, or by mailing in the confirmation email from the Radon Test Kit Request at https://extension.unr.edu/radon/pub.aspx?PubID=2748 along with a $5 check or money order to Board of Regents. All mailed test kits require $5 for shipping, and ordering through Eventbrite will also incur a small online handling fee.

For more information, call the Radon Hotline at 1-888-RADON10 (1-888-723-6610) or visit the Nevada Radon Education Program website at www.RadonNV.com. Extension, the EPA and the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health urge all Nevadans to test their homes for radon.The Nevada Radon Education Program is a program of University of Nevada, Reno Extension and is funded by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health through Grant Number K1-96963520-1 from the EPA. Since the program began in 2007, about 31,900 homes have been tested in Nevada.