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Consumer Information
Partners: Go to the Partners page to plan an activity for National Radon Action Month.
Learn more about National Radon Action Month.
- Reduce Your Family's Risk for Lung Cancer
- Take Action in January: Five Things You Can Do During National Radon Action Month
- EPA Radon Public Service Media Campaigns
- The National Radon Poster Contest
- Living Green is Healthier
| Reduce Your Family's Risk for Lung Cancer |
EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools, and other buildings for radon. The effort to raise awareness and test for radon is stepped up during National Radon Action Month every January. You can’t see, smell, or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America. Radon claims the lives of about 20,000 Americans each year, but exposure to radon is a preventable health risk. If a high radon level is detected in your home, you can take steps to fix the problem to protect yourself and your family. Test your home and protect your health during National Radon Action Month.
Contact Your State Radon Program
Contact your state radon program for information about radon testing, mitigation, and radon resistant new construction in your area. Your state can also help you find National Radon Action Month activities near you.
| Take Action in January |
Take Action in January: Five Things You Can Do During National Radon Action Month
- Test your home
EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon. Testing is easy and inexpensive. Learn more about testing your home, including how to obtain an easy-to-use test kit.
- Learn more about radon
Here are a few ways you can learn more about radon and your home:
- Download EPA’s Basic Radon Facts in English (PDF, 2 pp, 150KB, About PDF) or Spanish (PDF, 2 pp, 204KB, About PDF).
- View or order EPA’s free radon publications.
- Attend a National Radon Action Month event in your area
Look for radon events in your community. Contact your state radon program for more information about local radon activities.
- Spread the word
- Tell your family and friends about the health effects of radon. Encourage them to test their homes.
- Plan an activity in your community to help raise awareness.
- Write an op-ed or letter to the editor. View
tips and a sample op-ed and letter to the editor (PDF, 2 pp, 101K, About PDF) from EPA’s National
Radon Action Month Event Planning Kit.
- Buy a radon resistant home
If you are considering buying a new home, look for builders who use radon resistant new construction.
| EPA Radon Public Service Media Campaigns |
Look for EPA’s print, radio, and television Public Service Announcements (PSAs) featuring the Build Green campaign and the U.S. Surgeon General’s warning on radon and lung cancer.
| The National Radon Poster Contest |
Get involved with the National Radon Poster Contest, sponsored by the National Safety Council (NSC) in partnership with EPA. The winner, a parent, and the sponsoring teacher receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC, for a national awards ceremony in January. Entries are accepted from July 1 through October 15 of the preceding calendar year. Contact Kristin Lolmaugh at lolmaugk@nsc.org or your state radon program for information about celebrating your state/local contest winners and participating in the next National Radon Poster Contest.
Click on the image for a larger version
Nearly 2,000 students from 26 states and two U.S. Department of Defense schools entered the 2008 National Radon Poster Contest. The winners announced in January 2008 were:
- First Place: Sarah, Florida, Science Sue Talks About Radon
- Second Place: Daniel, Florida, Can Your House Pass The Test?
- Third Place: Jill, Oklahoma, Wanted: Radon
View and download all the 2008 state and national poster winners on the
NSC Web site
| Living Green is Healthier |
Living "green" is about more than just energy efficiency and recycling -- it's also about giving your family a healthier home. Breathing "greener" air means checking your home for radon, a leading indoor air problem that is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Breathing in high radon indoors can lead to lung cancer yet it is easily preventable. A simple home radon test can tell you if you have a problem. If your home does have a high radon level, there are simple ways to reduce this radioactive gas and make your home's air safer.
When building a new home, makes sure to ask your builder about radon-resistant features. Radon-venting features are easy to install at the time of construction and will help make your home greener and healthier all at the same time. More information on radon-resistant new construction is available, such as the publication "Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide to Build Radon-Resistant Homes."