The new year is only days away. One resolution homeowners should make is to test for radon, health experts advise.

January is National Radon Action Month. Radon is a tasteless, odorless and colorless radioactive gas that is created through natural processes in soil and rock. The level of radon in the outdoor atmosphere is not harmful to people, but radon can concentrate indoors, leading to harmful levels within a home, according to a news release from Public Health, Delta and Menominee Counties.

There are no short-term health effects associated with radon; however, long-term exposure to elevated radon levels increases a person’s risk of developing lung cancer. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer and the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.

According to the EPA, the average national indoor radon level is 1.3 picocuries per liter and the recommended action level is 4.0 pCi/L. Results from 159 radon tests collected in 2023 in Delta and Menominee counties resulted in 16% reporting radon levels at or above 4.0 pCi/L, according to PHDM. The highest level of radon reported from these tests was 15.3 pCi/L.

Testing for radon is easy, inexpensive and the only way to know what the radon level is in a home.

The Dickinson-Iron District Health Department, with offices in Kingsford and Crystal Falls, has short-term charcoal radon testing kits available for just $10, and in January will offer a 50% discount to recognize Radon Action Month.

For more information or to find a radon testing and mitigation specialist, go online to https://www.michigan.gov/egle/about/organization/materials-management/indoor-radon or call 906-779-7239.