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City and County of Denver, CO

01/15/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/15/2025 12:35

Help Protect Your Family with a Free Radon Test Kit

Help Protect Your Family with a Free Radon Test Kit

Published on January 15, 2025

DDPHE offers free radon home test kits during Radon Action Month

Radon is a silent killer that could be seeping into your home without your knowledge. To prevent adverse health effects from radon, the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) encourages residents to test their homes for the dangerous gas every two to three years.

National Radon Action Month aims to increase the public's awareness of radon, promote radon testing and mitigation, and advance the use of radon-resistant new construction practices. Next week, DDPHE is providing free radon testing kits to Denver residents. Free test kits will be available for pickup on a first come, first served basis at four upcoming events:

  • Tuesday, Jan. 21 between 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Denver Public Library (DPL) - Bear Valley Branch (5171 W. Dartmouth Ave.)
  • Wednesday, Jan. 22 between 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at DPL - Montbello Branch (12955 Albrook Dr.)
  • Thursday, Jan. 23 between 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at DPL - Hampden Branch (9755 E. Girard Ave.)
  • Friday, Jan. 24 between 11 a.m.-3 p.m. DPL - Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales Branch (1498 N. Irving St.)

Denver residents can also request a free test kit using DDPHE's online portal. Online requests are also fulfilled on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. Colorado residents outside of the City and County of Denver can request free test kits through the State's online request form.

Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. It creeps through cracks of a home's foundation with potentially deadly results. Every year, about 500 Coloradans die from lung cancer after inhaling radon. About 21,000 people die nationally.

Radon exposure poses a significant health risk. It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Because of the ways that radon and tobacco smoke damage the lungs, high radon levels are especially dangerous for people who smoke, with a risk of lung cancer 10 times higher than non-smokers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks Colorado as an area with the highest radon potential possible. Colorado residential radon data shows about half of homes test at or above the EPA Radon Action Level of 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter). The EPA recommends radon remediation systems be installed in homes with radon levels above 4 pCi/L. The average outdoor concentration of radon is .4 pCi/L or one-tenth of EPA's 4pCi/L action level.

If your home test results show high levels of radon, DDPHE environmental scientists recommend performing a second test. Once those results confirm elevated levels, the next step is to call a professional to help lower the radon levels in your home and make it safer for your family. It can be scary to find out that your home has high radon levels - but there's good news. Installing a mitigation system usually costs about the same as other common home repairs!

Make sure you are hiring a certified contractor, by checking with the National Radon Proficiency Program. Some residents may quality for low-cost or no-cost assistance through the Low-Income Radon Mitigation Assistance (LIRMA) Program.

You can learn more about radon in Denver at www.denvergov.org/radon.