NJ DEP Celebrates Radon Action Month!

Governor Murphy proclaimed January Radon Action Month, coinciding with a national initiative dedicated to promoting radon awareness, testing and mitigation, and radon resistant new construction. Radon testing is easy! The best time to test for radon is during the heating season, so January is the perfect time. Long term or chronic exposure to radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, and the second-leading cause of lung cancer among smokers (after smoking) according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The greater the concentration and the longer a person is exposed, the greater the risk of developing lung cancer. Check with your municipal or county health department for free radon test kits or purchase a test kit from a hardware store or a NJ certified radon business.

The Radon Potential Map presents radon testing data to show the potential for elevated radon concentrations in each New Jersey municipality with tier area assignments of risk. While this type of visual tool is helpful to determine if you live in an area where radon is more likely to be found, DEP recommends that all homes be tested for radon. Radon concentration can vary widely even within a tier location, depending upon the geology and amount of uranium in the soil. This means that homes in low or moderate radon potential areas may still have elevated radon concentrations. The DEP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency both recommend that you mitigate your home if your test results indicate radon levels of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of radon or higher.

For more information about radon testing and mitigation, view the DEP Podcast on radon.