Free radon home test kits available for Sarasota County homeowners until Feb. 13 

Sarasota, FL— January is National Radon Action Month and is designed to educate all residents about the risks from elevated indoor radon levels. The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County (DOH-Sarasota) is raising awareness about the importance of identifying and mitigating elevated indoor radon levels in homes.

DOH-Sarasota’s Environmental Health Office is providing homeowners and renters no-cost radon test kits valued at $15 each, until Feb. 13. Health officials say radon is a gas that occurs naturally in the soil. High levels can build up in homes and buildings. You cannot see, smell or taste radon gas. Radon in indoor air causes more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year. Radon can be detected with a simple test and high levels can be fixed using proven techniques.

“Exposure to elevated indoor radon levels is an invisible yet real threat to your health,” said DOH-Sarasota’s Environmental Health Director Tom Higginbotham. According to state health officials, one in five homes tested for radon in Florida has elevated levels. "This month, we are working to equip families with free radon testing for their homes." The test kits are easy to use and are available by calling 941-861-6133 or making an online request."

To help prevent dangerous radon exposure, the Florida Department of Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggest:

• All homeowners test their homes for radon.
• Homeowners should fix radon problems immediately to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure to their family.
• New homes should include radon-resistant features, which are especially important in areas reporting elevated radon levels.

For more information about radon, its health effects, testing procedures and no-cost test kits for Sarasota County residents, please visit DOH-Sarasota’s website https://sarasota.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/index.html or call their Environmental Health Office at 941-861-6133.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health, please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.

  Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities. View the complete policy at www.scgov.net/ADA/Pages/default.aspx

___________________________________________________

MEDIA NOTES:

DOH-Sarasota Media Contact:
Dianne Shipley, 941-861-2852; cell 941-302-1058;
DOHSarasotaNews@FLHealth.gov
Website: www.sarasotahealth.org