National Radon Action Month
Consumer Information
Learn more about National Radon Action Month.
- Learn About Risk From Radon
- Take Action in January: Four Things You Can Do During National Radon Action Month
- The National Radon Poster Contest
- EPA Radon Public Service Media Campaigns
Radon Tips: Test, Fix, Save a Life
- Test your home for radon. It’s easy and inexpensive.
- Fix your home if you have a radon level of 4 pCi/L or more.
Call your State Radon Contact to learn more about test kits and radon professionals that can help you test or fix your home. For more information about radon:
- Call the National Radon Information Line: 1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236)
- Read "A Citizen's Guide To Radon"
- Also read the: "Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon"
Learn About Risk From Radon
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 and claims the lives of about 20,000 Americans each year. In fact, the EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools, and other buildings for radon. Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk, and testing radon levels in your home can help prevent unnecessary exposure. If a high radon level is detected in your home, you can take steps to fix the problem to protect yourself and your family.
- Read A Citizen's Guide to Radon [En Español] (PDF, 16 pp., 1.5 M, Disponible en PDF)
- Learn more about radon - Here are a few ways you can learn more about radon and your home:
- Download EPA’s Basic Radon Facts (PDF, 2 pp., 150 K, about PDF) [En Español] (PDF, 2 pp., 204 K)
- View or order EPA’s free radon publications.
Take Action in January
EPA has designated January as National Radon Action Month. To browse activities that took place in your area and view results during the 2011 National Radon Action Month; read more about Radon Leaders Saving Lives. If you would like to organize an event in your neighborhood, see the Event Planning Kit to get started.
Four 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.
- 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 - spend time during National Radon Action Month encouraging others to learn about radon and test their homes.
- Tell your family and friends about the health risk of radon. Encourage them to test their homes.
- Plan an activity
in your community to help raise awareness.
Use EPA’s National Radon Action Month Event Planning Kit
as a guide. - Write an op-ed or letter to the editor. View tips and a sample op-ed and letter to the editor from EPA’s National Radon Action Month Event Planning Kit.
- Attract media attention by working with a local official to get a radon proclamation. View tips and a sample proclamation 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.
Read more about radon-resistant new construction, "Building Radon Out: A
Step-by-Step Guide to Build Radon-Resistant Homes".
Contact your state radon program for information about radon testing, mitigation, and radon-resistant new construction in your area.
2012 National Radon Poster Contest Winners Announced!
Read more about the annual national radon poster contest.
Click on the image to see a slideshow of the winners.
The National Radon Poster Contest
Would a student that you know enjoy a trip to Washington, DC? Kansas State University (KSU),
in partnership with EPA, sponsors a National Radon
Poster Contest. Entries for the National Radon Poster
Contest are accepted from March through October each year. Students ages 9-14 from
states and tribal nations across the country and all U.S. territories are
encouraged to create posters that raise radon awareness and encourage radon
testing in every home. For complete rules and information, visit the KSU National Radon Program Services
Website
at http://sosradon.org
.
For inspiration, don't forget to browse past state and national winners.
To view winning posters, visit the KSU National Radon Program Services
Website
at http://sosradon.org
EPA Radon Public Service Media Campaigns
Green Sox Radon Media Campaign
Do you want to know how to step out on the green side of building healthier? EPA has developed a media campaign, Living Healthy & Green, to educate consumers about the ease of testing for radon. The campaign features Fuad Reveiz, a home builder and former professional football player, who builds his new homes radon-resistant and encourages others to do the same. These unique PSAs promote building healthier homes from the ground up. Look for these PSAs in print publications, radio stations and billboards throughout your area, visit www.epa.gov/radon/media_campaigns.html.
Eddie’s Story
In 2008, EPA asked for 30-60 second video submissions with the theme "Radon: Test, Fix, Save a Life" encouraging Americans to test and fix their homes for radon, and we received more than 30 entries. The winning entry in the Radon Video Contest, titled “Eddie’s Story,” featured the true story of lung cancer survivor Eddie Metcalfe.
Eddie’s Story has now been developed into a powerful media campaign spearheaded by EPA to raise radon awareness. The new Eddie's Story Radon Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are being used throughout the country to highlight the dangerous health risk radon.
To download and view all of the Eddie’s Story campaign materials for yourself, visit www.epa.gov/radon/media_campaigns.html.