American Lung Association Offers Free Radon Test Kits Online

The American Lung Association in Pennsylvania announced this week that it would provide free radon test kits to the public on its website.

The ALA-PA said one  per Pennsylvania household may be requested, and that those asking for kits should be residents who don't have a previous test result for their homes. The offer is valid while supplies last, according to a news release.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. It is colorless, odorless and tasteless, and it is the second-leading cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking. 

The only way to know the level of radon inside your home is to test for it. The U. S. Surgeon General and the American Lung Association recommend that all homes be tested for radon, according to ALA-PA. 

A state Department of Environmental Protection grant is funding the ALA-PA radon program. 

“The American Lung Association is using the program as a way to help the public carry out DEP’s recent call for everyone to test their homes for radon,” said ALA-PA Environmental Health Director Kevin Stewart. 

For the past 25 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state environmental agencies and organizations nationwide, such as the American Lung Association, have encouraged the public to test for radon in their homes and to get radon problems fixed. 

If you have a question concerning radon or would like to contact your local American Lung Association office, please call the ALA helpline toll-free at 1-800-LUNG-USA.