Importance of checking radon levels in your home

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - A question for you to consider, when was the last time you checked the radon levels for your home?

It turns out north Alabama is one of the highest risk spots in the state for dangerous amounts.

Radon comes from the ground and can settle underneath the slab or crawl space of a building.

If the levels are too high, it can lead to dangerous issues such as lung cancer.

The Alabama Department of Public Health is urging people to test their homes for radon this winter.

The health department is giving out a thousand free testing kits on a first come basis.

“You have someone that maybe has never smoked that has lung cancer, you wonder, ‘oh are they living in an area that has a high radon level and have they ever checked their home.’ And a lot of time the first time they’ve ever heard about radon is when the oncologist asks, ‘have you ever tested your home for it,’” Nick Swindall, a state radon contact said.

You can find a link to request your free kit here.

If you do request one, you’re asked to please use it and follow the directions carefully.