Health Dept. offers free radon test kits

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - The Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health is still offering residents free radon kits while supplies last.

Test kits can be picked up Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the health department’s main office on the 3rd floor of Citizens Square, 200 E. Berry St., or 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Vector Control and Environmental Services, 2242 Carroll Road. 

The free radon test kits can also be picked up at the following locations:

·        Grabill Town Hall, 13717 1 ^st St.; Mon. – Thurs. 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

·        Leo-Cedarville Town Hall, 13909 Pony Express Run; Mon.– Fri. 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

·        Monroeville Utility Department; call (260) 740-8041 or 740-8042 for information.

·        New Haven City Hall, Utility Payment Office, 815 Lincoln Hwy. E., Mon.– Fri., 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

·        Woodburn City Hall, 22735 Main St.; Mon.– Fri., 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Radon is a natural, radioactive gas that is colorless, tasteless, and odorless. It is formed from the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil, rocks, and water under homes and can seep up from the ground into buildings through cracks in foundations, basement walls, and sump pumps.

Long-term exposure to radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. The only way to know if you are being exposed to radon in your home is to run a test.

For more information about radon, visit www.allencountyhealth.com .