Local news- Press Release
Greenwich Connecticut - Discounted Radon testing available for both Radon in well water and air now through February 02 January 2024 ( news )
Greenwich , state Connecticut ( By Press Release office)
Jan 02,2024
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WINTER IS THE BEST TIME TO TEST FOR RADON
DISCOUNTED RADON TESTING AVAILABLE FOR BOTH RADON IN WELL WATER AND AIR NOW THROUGH FEBRUARY
[Greenwich , CT] - - The month of January has been designated as Radon Action Month by the United States Environmental Protection Agency ( U . S . EPA ) . Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U . S . after smoking , and it is the leading cause of lung cancer among non - smokers . Radon is estimated to be responsible for more than 21 , 000 deaths from lung cancer in the US each year . About 2 , 900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked . Smokers exposed to radon have a much higher risk for developing lung cancer than smokers who are not exposed .
In response to this important public health issue , the Greenwich Department of Health will offer a reduced fee to test radon in air and water . This is being made possible in part by a state grant .
To take advantage of the reduced fee radon in air and well water testing program , call the Department of Health Laboratory at 203 - 622 - 7843 for details . Radon testing kits for air and well water may be obtained from the Department’s Laboratory located on the ground floor of Town Hall during laboratory hours , Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM . A reduced fee of $45 . 00 will be charged for radon in air testing ( compared with a regular fee of $69 . 00 per test ) . Radon in air testing should be begun in the home the same day and the kit returned to the lab four days later , with results being reported by email or regular mail . A reduced fee of $51 . 00 will be charged for radon testing of well water ( compared with a regular fee of $80 . 00 per test ) and customers will be notified of their results within a week of returning samples to the Lab . Please be aware that households will be limited to one reduced fee air test per household per visit . Customers with elevated radon levels in air and/or well water will be referred to a list of state certified radon mitigation companies .
Radon is present at elevated levels in about one of every five Connecticut homes . Radon is a naturally occurring , invisible , odorless , radioactive gas that is normally harmlessly dispersed in outdoor air but can reach harmful levels when it enters and gets trapped in buildings , particularly in the winter months when homes and other buildings are closed up . Radon comes from the ground and can enter a home through small cracks and other openings in the foundation . Dissolved radon can occur naturally in groundwater and may be aerosolized into the air within a home serviced by well water when running faucets , showers , dishwashers or a washing machine . If radon is already present at elevated levels in the air , the addition of the aerosolized radon from a faucet could cause the radon action level in the home to be exceeded . Distribution water ( “town water” ) from Aquarion does not contain radon .
The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) recommends radon abatement measures to be undertaken if radon in air levels exceed 4 . 0 picocuries per liter ( pCi/L ) . Even if the radon test level is below the action level of 4 . 0 pCi/L , homeowners should consider testing again sometime in the future as radon levels can fluctuate . Retesting is particularly important if construction work has been done , since it may have disturbed the soil around the home or created cracks in the foundation which could provide an entry point for radon . For radon in well water , the State of Connecticut has set an action level of 5 , 000 pCi/L and recommends that all wells be tested for radon at least once , and ideally every five years .
“We are pleased to offer a complete radon testing program ( air/well water ) to Greenwich residents . This program demonstrates the Department’s commitment to protect residents from a serious public health hazard . All residents are encouraged to test their homes for radon in both well water and air this winter . Testing homes for elevated levels of radon is simple and inexpensive even when the reduced - fee testing program is no longer available , ” stated Director of Health Caroline Calderone Baisley . Michael Long , Director of the Division of Environmental Services Laboratory , states that , “Because you can’t see or smell radon , people tend to downplay its health effects and ignore the possibility that there might be a silent killer in their homes . Over ten years of radon testing , half of the homes tested in Greenwich had a radon in air level above the EPA action limit of 4 . 0 pCi/L . Radon , if discovered , can be remediated by qualified contractors inexpensively . The addition of testing well water for radon adds one more important diagnostic tool to identify another potential source of radon being released into the air . ”
For more information on radon , radon testing and radon mitigation , call the Greenwich Department of Health Laboratory at 203 - 622 - 7843 .
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