You can’t see it, taste it, or smell it. You don’t even know that it’s there, but it has the potential to do serious harm. Radon! – a radioactive soil gas which moves from the ground under and around a home through cracks and crevices in the foundation to collect inside.
Why all the concern about radon? Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America, after cigarette smoking. Nearly one out of every 4 homes in Kansas may have elevated radon levels, but levels can vary even from home to home in the same neighborhood.
As health concerns about radon increase, the Kansas Radon Program at Kansas State University can help to shed some light on this elusive danger. Brian Hanson, Radon Program Coordinator, will be in Hays on March 10th to present two programs about radon. A free three-hour continuing education course for real estate professionals will be held from 1- 4 pm at the Extension Office, 601 Main in Hays. The registration brochure for real estate professionals is available from the Hays Board of Realtors. To receive credit for the “Radon for Real Estate Professionals” course realtors must provide their Realtor License number.
A one-hour public information program will be held at 601 Main in Hays on March 10th at 5:15 pm. Pre-registration for either radon class is requested by March 5th. The program for the general public will provide basic information about radon, its health effects, how to test and what to do about a test that comes back with a high radon rating.
The first 25 participants to register for the 5:15 pm public meeting will receive a free radon test kit (limit of one per household). Please call 628-9430 to register for the March 10th public meeting by March 5th.
The only way to know if there is radon in a home is to test. Winter is the best time for testing when homes are closed up from outside air. Radon screening kits can be purchased at the Extension Office for $6.50. The self-mailer kit includes full instructions for completing the test and returning it to a lab for analysis.
Berny Unruh is the Family and Community Wellness Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. She can be reached at 785-628-9430 or at [email protected]